Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Karen Cummings Blasts Dr. Frank Anthony For Neglecting Citizens During COVID-19 Pandemic

The Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and current Member of Parliament (MP) today slammed the Ministry of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, for neglecting to deliver a proper standard of COVID-19 health care to the citizens of Guyana. 

“The PPP regime is guilty for not delivering COVID-19 health care, and citizens now have to fend for themselves as the health ministry abundant their duty to isolate persons affected by COVID-19,” said Dr. Cummings. 

The medical doctor by profession noted that COVID-19 deaths have become alarming over the past weeks. Cummings allegedly claimed that persons infected are now being kept at home for isolation, which neglects the Minister of Health responsibilities. On October 13, 2020, 1008 active cases and 876 were left at home to isolate. 

Dr. Cummings made it clear that it was “wishful thinking” to have patients remain home without infecting others. Patients are now being asked to deal with financial commitments while the Ministry of Health wastes taxpayer dollars. Families are now being burdened with the responsibility of acting as nurses for daily checks, providing patients with vitamins, PPE, and medication from out of their own pocket, while providing launchy services and ready access to water as caregivers. 

The former Minister warned that this could lead to new infections and deaths of COVID-19 patients in Guyana. Dr. Cummings also reiterated that the Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, is “failing to deliver adequate and sufficient health care to the people of Guyana during the global pandemic.” 

The government is saving approximately $24,500 per patient a day.

APNU+AFC Statement

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

PPP regime guilty of dereliction of duty in the delivery of COVID-19 health care

• Citizens now have to fend for themselves as Health Ministry abandons duty to isolate persons infected with COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic in Guyana has taken a turn for the worst with an alarming increase in the number of deaths as more and more people become infected. Rather than a sound public health strategy to curb the spread of COVID-19 and prevent people from dying, the Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony has shifted the burden of care in general and home isolation in particular onto the Guyanese people. 

On the 13th of October, 2020 the Ministry of Health recorded 1,008 active cases of COVID-19 of which 876 infected persons were left to home isolate.

In other words, the Minister of Health is hoping that approximately 9 in every 10 persons with corona virus in Guyana will stay safely at home, and keep away from family, friends and strangers at all times, while wearing a face mask all day once they are not sleeping. Thus more persons become infected and die with each passing day as the COVID-19 pandemic marches on and the government does nothing of note.  

It is wishful thinking of the Minister of Health that he expects home isolated patients to stay home, not infect their families, and not die but rather he expects these very patients to foot the bill while the Health Ministry continues to waste tax dollars.

When a patient is on home isolation the Ministry of Health saves money as follows:

1. They no longer have to find nurses and doctors to provide patients with daily checks to ensure they are recovering well

2. They no longer have to ensure patients have access to vitamin supplements such as Vitamin C and Zinc along with medication for fever, headache and cough

3. They no longer have to supply each positive patient with a minimum of 3 surgical face masks a day to prevent them from spreading COVID-19

4. They no longer have to ensure that all COVID-19 patients have 3 nutritious meals a day

5. They no longer have to provide the patients with access to running water and hand soap to wash their hands as often as need be

6. They no longer have to provide laundry services to ensure infected patients’ clothing and bed linings are appropriately decontaminated

7. They no longer have to provide infectious waste disposal services to ensure tissues patients cough into and infected waste are properly decontaminated and discarded

8. They no longer have to ensure patients are in well, naturally ventilated rooms or air conditioned rooms with specialized air filters

9. They no longer have to ensure patient’s rooms and furniture are constantly sanitized

10. They no longer have to provide PPE – face masks, face shields, gloves, shoe covers, and gowns – for doctors and nurses to use daily – a minimum of 3 times per day to follow-up on patients.

Though this is not an extensive list, on average the Government saves about $24,500 a day for every COVID-19 case that is on home isolation. 

And this value to the Government of the day is in exchange of an average of 2 new cases of COVID-19, which is gained for every person they place on home isolation.

This is certainly not a “circle of blessing” but a “circle of COVID” which inevitably will lead to increase in infections and deaths. It therefore means that the PPP regime is handing out $25,000 COVID relief, mainly to their own supporters, but on the other hand is acting in willful neglect, jeopardizing the health and lives of citizens and the result is the infection of large numbers of people with COVID-19 on a daily basis.

This constitutes a dereliction of duty by the Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony and the PPP regime who are failing to deliver adequate and sufficient health care to the people of Guyana during this global pandemic.