GINA | GOVERNMENT INFORMATION AGENCY

Ministry offers assistance to Ramdeen children
• To meet parents tomorrow

The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, through its Probation and Family Welfare Department has offered assistance to the five Ramdeen children (Anand, Ravendra, Rajesh, Remano and Suresh) who were left on their own for the last few days.

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Ministry working on TOR, arbitration panel

Following the meeting yesterday with the Ministry of Education, the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) and the Ministry of Labour on teachers' salary increases, the Ministry of Education is working on a proposed Terms of Reference to present to the next meeting of the three groups.

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US$5 M PL 480 Agreement signed
USAID satisfied with Govt's utilization of funds

A PL 480 Title I Food for Progress FY 2004 Agreement between the Governments of Guyana and the United States was signed this morning. It caters for the donation of 23,000 metric tonnes of wheat valued at approximately US$5M.

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Minister Jeffrey pledges support to West Ruimveldt students
- Students visit him on his B/Day

Education Minister Dr. Henry Jeffrey has promised students of the West Ruimveldt Primary School that he will ensure that their toilet facilities are improved in the very near future.

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Pharmacy Council is about to be constituted

Guyana 's first Pharmacy Council is about to be constituted Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy made this disclosure at the 5 th annual meeting of the Guyana Pharmacy Association at Le Meriden Pegasus, as part of Pharmacy Week 2004.

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"Greater effort made to remove discrimination against the differently able" - Minister Ramsammy
- As Guyana observes rehab week

There have greater efforts to remove the discrimination against differently abled persons and respect should be shown to such individuals, said Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy in an interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA).

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Ministry offers assistance to Ramdeen children
• To meet parents tomorrow

Georgetown , GINA, June 22, 2004

According to Human Services and Social Security Minister Bibi Shadick, an officer from the Department visited the home yesterday and offered assistance, including food items and clothing, to the children.

She said it was not enough, but the parents are expected to meet with officials from the Ministry tomorrow to determine additional assistance for the family.

She added that the Ministry of Home Affairs will look into providing birth certificates for the children so that they may attend school.

Reports are that the mother, Gita Ramdeen, returned to her children at their home up the Demerara River yesterday.

The children were left unattended for a while while their mother and father went job-hunting in Linden .

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Ministry working on TOR, arbitration panel

Georgetown , GINA, June 23, 2004

The next meeting is scheduled for next Tuesday.

According to Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education Ganga Persaud, the Ministry was asked if it was willing go to arbitration. The Ministry's position is that once it could have the fundamentals in place, it would be willing to proceed on this.

In addition to the TOR, the Ministry is also considering three persons for the arbitration panel, which it will present at next Tuesday's meeting.

Earlier this year, the GTU proposed salary increases for teachers. It requested that the lowest category of teachers( junior teachers, teacher aides and acting teachers) should be given a 5 % increase, teachers above that level 10% and trained teachers throughout the remainder of the scale, 15%.

Several meetings were held between the Ministry of Education and the GTU. The Ministry proposed a 3% increase based on affordability and sustainability. However, the GTU rejected this and negotiations moved to the conciliation level, with the Ministry of Labour intervening.

Last week the three parties met but again, the Ministry's 3% offer was rejected by the union. It requested to move the talks to the conciliation level. More negotiations took place with the Ministry explaining that it could not afford more. Minister of Education, Henry Jeffrey explained that the GTU needs to take into consideration that Government has to allocate funds for teachers being promoted as well as new ones entering the sector.

At the last meeting between the Ministry of Education and the GTU, Permanent Secretary, Ganga Persaud had said that the Ministry is open to further talks but that Government can only afford 3%.

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US$5 M PL 480 Agreement signed

USAID satisfied with Govt's utilization of funds

Georgetown , GINA, June 23, 2004

In keeping with the agreement, the monetarised value of the grant will be used to undertake infrastructural and other developmental works related to agricultural development. This is the fourth time that Guyana has benefited under the programme. Agreements were signed in 2000, 2001 and 2002

Projects and activities related to the programme will be mutually agreed upon by the Governments of Guyana and the United States before implementation.

Speaking just prior to the signing, Finance Minister Sasenarine Kowlessar who signed on behalf of the Guyana Government, said the grants have been useful in providing budgetary support.

The Minister noted that as a Heavily Indebted Poor Country, Guyana has to manage its debt in a very prudent manner so any grant would assist in maintaining the debt at a sustainable level.

According to Minister Kowlessar, the grants have been assisting in significant ways, providing investment opportunities, increasing agriculture productivity, creating new jobs and foreign exchange savings.

Charge d' Affaires, US Embassy in Guyana Ms. Betty Mc Cutchen, in brief remarks noted that Guyana is an agriculture dependent economy and increasing agriculture output would have a manifold impact, not only on reducing hunger and improving food security, but also of ensuring higher living standards for all Guyanese.

McCutchen said it is for these reasons that food for agriculture remains a major thrust of development planning.

According to the Charge d' Affaires, over the past 18 years, the US Government food aid programme has contributed approximately US$115 million to Guyana's development.

Grain supplied under the PL480 Agreement is sold to local mills and proceeds used to improve the agriculture sector. Past agreements have seen work on drainage and irrigation systems and sea defences.

Proceeds of the 2004 Agreement will go to a wide range of projects, including the maintenance of 200,000 feet of sea defence, drainage and irrigation systems, collaboration between the National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI) and the US Department of Agriculture Research Service, the promotion of adherence to sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures for exporting produce as well as the improvement of agriculture extension services and five fellowships on agriculture topics.

According to McCutchen, the activities are all directed at improving the agriculture sector, strengthening infrastructure and building capacity.

McCutchen said other areas such as environmental projects to boost conservation efforts are also catered for along with projects to boost social and judicial services.

USAID Mission Director Dr. Mike Sarhan noted that in the past there has been a tendency to use the proceeds of the PL 480 programme on drainage and irrigation and sea defence projects, but now social services are being targeted.

In an invited comment, both Dr. Sarahan and McCutchen stated that they are very satisfied with the management and utilization of resources the US Government is expending in Guyana .

According to Dr. Sarhan, USAID has a good monitoring and auditing mechanism and overall, they are satisfied that the money is used wisely and there is no corruption.

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Minister Jeffrey pledges support to West Ruimveldt students

- Students visit him on his B/Day

Georgetown , GINA, June 23, 2004

Education Minister Dr. Henry Jeffrey has promised students of the West Ruimveldt Primary School that he will ensure that their toilet facilities are improved in the very near future.

The School's Boy's Choir visited the Minister today to sing for him as he celebrates his 59 th birthday.

The Minister expressed delight at their renditions of “Born Free” and “I Can See Clearly Now.”

He asked the students if he were to do anything for them what would they want him to do. The response was to address the toilet facilities at the school.

Minister Jeffrey promised that his Ministry will ensure that work begins before the end of the month.

The students were accompanied by their music teachers, Larry Lesper and Wilfred Success.

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Pharmacy Council is about to be constituted

Georgetown , GINA, June 23, 2004

Delivering the feature address Sunday last, Minister Ramsammy said that the new Council will be mandated with registering pharmacy practitioners, and regulating the practice of pharmacy in Guyana .

“There is much enthusiasm that this will lead to an improvement in the standards of pharmacy service and as a consequence, health care in Guyana ,” stressed the Health Minister.

He is optimistic that pharmacy practice guidelines will come out of the new council.

“But this would take commitment and dedication on the part of those who are elected to serve,” Minister Ramsammy said.

The guidelines will lead to a more effective pharmacy service in Guyana and set the national standards which include: promotion of health though the supply of quality, cost effective drugs and other medical supplies, medical devices and supplies for patient self care.

Pharmacy practitioners are obligated to provide a quality service to the public and good pharmacy practice is the vehicle for meeting that obligation, added Minister Ramsammy.

He emphasized that the Ministry of Health has a leadership role and the Pharmacy Association and the new Council must provide the momentum for setting national standards.

“Our common goal is to promote excellence for the benefit of those we serve,” noted Minister Ramsammy.

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"Greater effort made to remove discrimination against the differently able" - Minister Ramsammy

- As Guyana observes rehab week

Georgetown , GINA, June 23, 2004

"These individuals have their rights and are fairly healthy people," the Health Minister said.

He recalled that some time ago much emphasis was not placed on the well being of differently abled persons, and pointed out that," nowadays there are facilities to accommodate such individuals."

It is mandatory that public buildings now have ramps and other facilities for the differently abled in place and Minister Ramsammy is heartened that the private sector is willing to provide easier access for the differently abled.

Rehabilitation services are expanding in Guyana stated the Health Minister. Some of the services offered are: Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy and Audiology.

The Ministry of Health is one of the agencies catering for the needs of the persons with disabilities. It assumes responsibility for the services provided through the formal health network.

At the Georgetown Public Hospital , persons who have poor vision can benefit from spectacles for as little as $6,000, "The intention is to ensure that persons can afford to have their vision corrected," Minister Ramsammy said.

The Health Ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Human Services, helps hundreds of persons annually.

In terms of training and staffing, the Health Minister said that there is a reasonable number of trained staff, and he is pleased with the quality of service being offered.

On Monday last, Minister Ramsammy visited the Ptolemy Reid Rehab Centre and he is impressed with their hard work. He mentioned as an income earning venture, they provide envelopes to the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GUYSUCO).

Initially, rehabilitation services were only available in Georgetown. However, over the last two decades, there has been an expansion of the services to six Regions - 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 10.

The Rehabilitation Services Division of the Ministry of Health is observing, "Rehab Week 2004" from June 20 through 26. The theme for this year's observance is "Making a Difference".

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