Kamarang Toshao rebuts Govt’s ‘blockade’ claims

May 03, 2026 News

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…produces 2023 land approval letter sent to Amerindian Affairs Ministry

(Kaieteur News) – Toshao Alma Marshall of Kamarang-Warawatta, Region Seven has provided documented evidence that disputes claims made by the Ministry of Health and government officials that the village council or the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) have been “blocking” the development of a specialty hospital district.

The controversy centers on statements by the ministry that the APA influenced the village to stall the project.

The Ministry in its statement accused the APA President and former Toshao of Kamarang, Lemmel Thomas of being dishonest about the work done by the ministry in indigenous communities.

“One of the most recent efforts by the government to further modernise the health care system in the hinterland was actually prevented by Mr. Thomas and his agency; the Amerindian Peoples Association, who discouraged the community leadership of Kamarang, Upper Mazaruni, from approving to construct a modern hospital in the community, which would have taken access to specialised surgical and specialists care, reducing referral of indigenous patient to the city of Georgetown, creating at least four hundred additional jobs for young Amerindian youths, and improving patients outcomes.

That stalled project would have required community participation, materials from the communities, which would have generated much-needed revenue and would have improved the livelihood of the Amerindian people in the upper Mazaruni region 7,” the Ministry of Health said.

The statement by the ministry followed Thomas’ presentation at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), where he highlighted a deepening  health crisis among Guyana’s Indigenous populations.

Addressing the forum on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, during a discussion on Indigenous health in the context of conflict, the APA warned that “institutional discrimination” and “cultural exclusion” continue to define national health policies. While acknowledging the government’s recent investments in hospital infrastructure and professional staffing, the APA argued that these measures fail to address the systemic inequities that have persisted for generations.

The president’s testimony painted a harrowing picture of the physical barriers to care, noting that elders must still trek through mountains, valleys, and rivers to reach basic medical facilities.

The intervention detailed how men are left vulnerable to life-threatening emergencies without access to anti-venom, while women are frequently forced to cross international borders to find safe birthing conditions. Furthermore, the APA raised an urgent alarm regarding the mental health of Indigenous youth, reporting that a rise in suicide cases is being neglected by the current healthcare framework.

Like the APA President, Toshao Marshall in a recent interview with Kaieteur News, presented a different narrative from that of the Ministry of Health – one of community consensus, proactive land allocation, and a lack of official communication from the state.

According to Marshall, the village held a general meeting during a visit from a high-level government team to discuss the project. While the Ministry of Health reportedly requested 15 acres of village land, the community reached a consensus in 2023 to approve 10 acres.

“I indeed found a letter in the office that stated that amount of land was released,” Marshall stated, noting that she has the documents ready to defend the council’s position.

“I don’t know where this information is coming from, politically,” Toshao Marshall told Kaieteur News.

The Toshao expressed frustration over being “attacked” with these allegations during the last National Toshaos Council (NTC) meeting, specifically citing a confrontation with Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira.

“I said, you have to get facts before you can accuse me or the village council of blocking development. This is not true,” Marshall recounted.

The APA issued a scathing press release on May 1, rejecting the Ministry’s assertions. The NGO clarified that it plays no role in the internal governance or land-use decisions of village councils.

“The Ministry’s claims are intended to mislead the public and make the APA a scapegoat for its own deficiencies,” the statement read. The APA further challenged the ministry to produce any record showing the organization discouraged the hospital’s construction.

A primary point of contention for the Kamarang Council is the lack of feedback regarding the 10 acres that were granted. Toshao Marshall noted that despite the village’s cooperation, there has been no official word on why the project has not progressed on the allocated site.

“There was no acknowledgement letter to say the 10 acres of land you released is unfit, nothing whatsoever,” Marshall said. “I have my defense there to make,” she remarked.

The Toshao is currently reviewing village minutes and records of meetings with contractors to finalize a report. While the government highlights infrastructure investments, the APA and local leaders emphasize that “infrastructure alone is not healthcare.”

During recent interventions at the United Nations Permanent Forum on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNPFII), advocates pointed to dysfunctional referral systems, ill-equipped facilities, and rising suicide rates in hinterland communities as evidence that current policies are failing to meet actual needs.

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• Alma Marshall, Amerindian Peoples Association, Kamarang, specialty hospital district, Toshao

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