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Intensify the push to save Guyana’s most valuable resource
Dear Editor,
Kaieteur News – In every rural community there is the rapidly growing alcohol and drug abuse, a proliferation of bottom house rum shops and brothels (now populated by high cost foreign ‘social workers’) and this can be seen graphically in Berbice.
All these social activities need substantial sums of money and we don’t need a crystal ball to figure out where it is coming from. Mostly the paycheck is robbed to finance these abominable activities and this is where the first line of destruction becomes the family. Many families are impoverished not because there is no wage earner or adequate earnings but the fact that the wage earner does not see spending on food, clothing and shelter as a priority. Just look at the number of Super Bets gambling dens which populate rural areas-they ran a close competition with supermarkets and then look at the fact that every Chinese supermarket is now a mini rum shop or beer garden.
The use of marijuana, alcohol is as common as cigarette smoking and can be accessed easily in the nook and cranny of every village whilst in many instances the law enforcement officers turn a ‘blind eye’. In addition, the need for monies to finance these anti-social habits leads to the commission of theft-choke and rob, banditry –and even begging. It is not uncommon the find young men begging for a ‘raise’ to buy ‘something to eat’. And we know what the ‘food’ is. We should not deny these facts or brush them under the rug.
Another resultant factor is the increase in domestic violence, domestic abuse and child abuse. In many instances these are caused by drug and alcohol abuse and innocent persons-the spouse and the children-pay the ultimate price whilst the rum shop owners and the drug pushers count their monies all the way to the bank. What has happened to the conscience of these people? How can they enjoy their ill-gotten gains from the blood and tears of women and children? Yet some of these so-called businessmen would be involved in making charitable donations to religious organizations: very hypocritical.
How can a person gleefully rob poor women and children and attempt to ‘give’ back to society? The social cost is too high and it is time that those in authorities enact some drastic changes in the law to restrict alcohol use and these betting houses which have mushroomed overnight.
Let us look at some salvage strategies. How do we help the large numbers of alcoholics and drug addicts who are increasing on a daily basis? The Psychiatric Hospital in Berbice is not equipped to deal with this issue and we need at least one rehabilitation center as a start to deal with the huge number of these addicts who are silently crying for help. The closest Rehabilitation Center is in Georgetown and the distance and cost is prohibitive to many who are willing to undergo treatment.
We are losing our most valuable resource-the human resource-on a daily basis and this must be addressed immediately. In January 2023, our Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony said that he believes that there are not enough treatment and rehabilitation facilities and rehab specialists in Guyana to counter substance abuse. In Guyana there are only two such NGOs Centers-the Phoenix Recovery Project and the Salvation Army and these are wholly inadequate to deal with the huge numbers of addicts.
When I was the Prime Minister’s Representative under the Coalition Government in Berbice I did raise the need for such rehabilitation centers in Berbice but unfortunately it fell on deaf ears.
In conclusion, I am calling on the Home Affairs Ministry, our Social Services Ministry and our Health Ministry to intensify the push to save our most valuable resource.
Yours sincerely,
Gobin Harbhajan
Justice of Peace & Commission of Oaths to Affidavit
Social Activist
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