Dear Editor, The good news and the bad sometimes go together. This is so where the Diamond Diagnostic Centre is concerned. It got a very high rating when representatives of the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Social Services inspected it and served out an 80 per cent rating, stating that they were pleased with the condition of the facility. All agree that it was the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) that should be knocked a bit. The members need to shape up. Everyone within an organisation is important and if the RDC…
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New doctors should boost health care in Berbice
Dear Editor, Twelve new doctors have joined the ranks of the Berbice Regional Health Authority (BRHA) and this alone says that progress calls for patience. These doctors are some of the fruits of a special and ingenious partnership between the governments of Guyana and Cuba. Since that time, hundreds of Guyanese have been sent to Cuba on a yearly basis. They normally return home to complete their internship and then they start their actual practice. I congratulate these returnees who are now ready, willing and qualified to serve in the…
Read MoreWell done, Limacol!
Dear Editor, I would like to congratulate the organisers, and the amazing local sponsors Limacol for bringing to Guyana these historic cricket matches. The Limacol Caribbean Premier League (CPL) T20 matches have brought such fun and excitement in the past week to our lives in Guyana that I wish there were more games planned for the Providence Stadium. I went to all four of the matches at the stadium and enjoyed them thoroughly. The events were organised impeccably, except may be for some traffic issues at the stadium. But these…
Read MoreSports and education should not be separated
Dear Editor, The brutal honesty of the secretary of the Fruta Conquerors Football Club must be admired. In a nutshell, some simple but very profound things – sportsmen cannot always make a living from their game, in this case football, at least not locally. Even if scholarships are on offer, their lack of a basic education disqualifies them from winning one, and sponsorship for many sports, again, namely football, are not forthcoming. As for the education factor, many young people see sports as an escape from school. This is so…
Read MoreThe upcoming teachers’ conference in Guyana will address sensitive issues
Dear Editor, This upcoming 36th biennial Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) conference is going to be most critical. It will address some very burning issues, some of them not that comfortable at all – issues such as violence against teachers, increased wages, and marking of school based assessments will be foremost on the agenda. The School Based Assessment (SBA) needs a lot of work. The idea is most wonderful, but its implementation, as of yet, leaves a lot to be desired. I know of many teachers who charge a fee,…
Read MoreOrlando community held vigil for Guyanese shooting victim
Dear Editor, I visited Orlando to show solidarity with the family of the shooting victim Eric Roopnarine, who was brutally murdered two weeks ago. Several dozen friends of Eric held a candle light vigil to remember him and to pay tribute to him on Wednesday, July 17. Eric was violently robbed and murdered at his home in the quiet section of Poinciana. Several Guyanese turned up for the vigil to pay their regards to the young man who was brutally murdered. Eric was fatally shot and stabbed in the wee…
Read MoreUG should stop the talk and start the work
Dear Editor, This developing University of Guyana (UG) situation seems to be all talk and nothing else. I am reading and hearing about alleged corruption and the sale of examination papers. I have actually heard that some lecturers give out the examination questions and students prepare the answers long in advance. It seems that the more there are discussions, the more things are coming to the fore, almost like spinning in a ditch. Now the talk has shifted to private sector executives and the UG vice chancellor expressing a desire…
Read MoreBuilding monuments should not be about politics
Dear Editor, The entire Linden protest scenario is something that has left an ugly mark in Guyana’s history. I just wish that it never happened. Now that it is over and government is seeking to make good on the Linden Commission of Inquiry (CoI) recommendations, I say that we first clear this and other matters. So I am not sure if this setting up of a monument park by the Region 10 Democratic Council (RDC) to honour the three shooting victims during that protest is justified. We can learn some…
Read MoreSoftball cricket should be encouraged
Dear Editor, The just concluded ad-hoc over-40 softball cricket tournament caught my attention. Now why can’t there be a few more tournaments like this one? Matches are quickly completed. In addition, softball cricket is safe and all that the players need are playing suits and a bat. There should be more softball cricket in Guyana. It is fun-filled and would provide a nice form of recreation for the family. In Canada, the Ontario Softball Cricket League (OSCL) is planning to send a team to Guyana for the tournament called the…
Read MoreThe cassava drive is truly on
Dear Editor, It is good to know that the locally produced farine is gaining popularity with its own niche market outside of its traditional users. I always thought that we needed to push more of our local specialties. In this vein, government in sensing an economic pull is set to build a full phased factory operation for the processing of this item made from cassava. If all goes well, this will take place later in the year, with the first facility to be installed in Region Nine. This is something…
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