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Guyanese children dying amid oil wealth – Anand Persaud
…chides govt. for ‘hit and miss’ approach at youth protection
(Kaieteur News) – The government of Guyana was on Wednesday criticised for its ‘hit and miss’ approach to youth protection by former editor-in-chief of the Stabroek News, Anand Persaud. Persaud, who appeared on the Globespan show, bemoaned the non-functioning of state institutions amid Guyana’s growing oil wealth.
Moderated by Guyanese businessman Nohar Singh, the show also featured chartered accountant and lawyer Christopher Ram.
Several cases that made the news recently were referenced including that of 12-year-old Marlon Jupiter who died after he failed to secure a bone marrow transplant in Brazil that would have cost US $35,000 or G$7,325,000.
Moderated by Guyanese businessman Nohar Singh, the show featured chartered accountant Christopher Ram and former editor-in-chief of Stabroek News, Anand Persaud.
Attention was also drawn to Aleena Preetam, 14, from Essequibo (now deceased), and Tiana Chapman, 15, from East Bank Berbice. Preetam was found dead in her bed with her one-month infant lying beside her, while Chapman was stabbed more than 25 times, allegedly by the father of her child.
The participants also spoke about the case involving the two officers attached to the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) that were caught on camera dragging a student by her hair on the bus park, and to the police officer who was aggressively handling a young man in school uniform.
It was noted that although the country has been producing oil since 2019, no poverty mapping has been conducted to identify existing pockets of poverty, and no fund has been established to support children in need of lifesaving surgeries.
“If you have not done those things, it means that you are not serving your purpose,” Persaud expressed, noting that the huge sums often spent by President Irfaan Ali to host lavish banquets and conferences at State House could have easily taken care of young Marlon’s surgery.
“It is shameful and disgraceful that children are dying in a country aspiring to be Dubai… and not addressing the very fundamental problems of poverty, deprivation, poor education, lack of motivation and the lack of jobs,” Persaud highlighted, adding, “So across the board, there clearly is no programme. It’s a hit and miss.”
He observed how the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security invests in several projects at once giving the impression that they will have some sort of impact. “But what you have on a regular basis is a failing of a lot of the Human Services agencies. In the case of the 15-year-old girl who gave birth and died a month after delivery, she should have been in protective care along with her child. The fact that that didn’t happen is a grand failure on the part of the Human Services Ministry. How do you have a 15-year-old die after delivering a child, which was obviously a case of statutory rape, and you did not address it until it became a public issue? Somebody needs to take the rap for that.”
Persaud further contended on the show that while the money may be there to get things done, and even perhaps the will, bureaucratic issues and a lack of proper planning are some of the hindrances.
As for the case of the child who was burnt to death at home in Sophia, he recalled how Ministers Vindhya Persaud and Robeson Benn turned up for their “perfunctory visit and photo opportunity” but did not follow up with help for the family after an entire year had passed.
“These ministers have a 100 different pet projects that they want to be photographed at and to go out on social media as if they are auditioning for the presidency or something when they should really be doing the hard work,” the former Stabroek News Editor-in-Chief said.
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