`Let the people die' - threat related to Commission by Wendella Davidson Guyana Chronicle August 17, 1999 A THREAT to let patients die at the Georgetown Hospital was related yesterday when the Presidential Commission of Inquiry resumed into incidents linked to the recent public sector pay strike. The Commission was told that a doctor and executive member of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) allegedly declared "Let the people die or suffer and let the Government face the consequences" and "You should get a big life insurance" to Chairman of the Interim Management Committee of the hospital, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy. "Get the coolie", "Sons of bitches" "If you go in we will get you", "We will kill you", "We will beat you up" were also reported to have been made by demonstrators to senior hospital officials, doctors, and other staffers who at one time or another felt intimidated. Ramsammy, who testified about the incidents, spent some two hours recounting events at the hospital during the strike. The inquiry began July 16 last, but was adjourned for two weeks. It is investigating reports of acts of malicious damage, and incidents of robbery and violence committed against citizens, including store owners and vendors. Led in his evidence by Counsel for the Commission, Mr. Mortimer Cumberbatch, Ramsammy repeatedly told the Commission, headed by Justice Carl Singh, how his own life and those of other doctors and staff who wanted to work were seriously threatened on various occasions. He spoke, too, of threats on the lives of doctors and other staffers, verbal abuse, the beating of a nurse-aide, the tugging of a female visitor from inside the hospital compound and the refusal to allow critically ill patients to seek medical attention. According to Ramsammy, the April 29 to June 23 strike called by the GPSU had, from its inception, severely affected the ability of the Georgetown Hospital to provide a service to sick persons. This was due to some 60 per cent of the nurses being off the job. And even though all the services were being offered, patients seeking medical attention were severely inconvenienced as they had to wait for long hours. And from day three, the situation worsened with the absence of a greater number of persons. In addition, demonstrators would determine who needed urgent attention and by use of a racial yardstick, Ramsammy said, sick persons of East Indian descent were denied entry. Questioned about the effectiveness of the hospital security (two private and one internal unit) by Justice Singh, Ramsammy said they were all unable to deal with the situation. He recalled instances when the demonstrators would spill into the hospital compound and virtually control the operations at entrances. Ramsammy also remembered seeing GPSU President, Mr. Patrick Yarde and executive member Dr. Anwar Hussein walk though the building after which the staff would become intimidated. Following these visits, hospital staff who had no intention to strike would also stay away for fear of reprisal. He added that in all this, the Police, sometimes fully aware of what was happening, did nothing. Realising that the protesters who numbered about 300 would begin gathering at around 09:00 hours and leave around 17:30 hrs, the hospital Chairman said staffers who were determined to work devised other methods of getting into the compound. They would arrive at the hospital earlier than usual or use other entrances, until the strategy was found out and the demonstrators used their own padlocks to lock those entrances. Ramsammy said once working staff were inside it was difficult for them to leave. One day, he and several other doctors wasted some five hours trying to get out of the compound. Only after he had contacted Minister of Home Affairs, Mr. Ronald Gajraj, and Commissioner of Police, Laurie Lewis, that ranks of the Tactical Services Unit (TSU)/Riot Squad were dispatched to the scene. Asked about the reported invasion on May 21 of the Emergency Unit of the hospital which, offers a 24-hour service, Ramsammy told the Commission of his determination then to have the Accident and Emergency Unit operate. Doctors provide a voluntary service there. But during the strike, many of them expressed fear for their lives. However, many of them persevered, including Drs. Benjie Singh, Seodat Pooran, Ramsarran, Vijai Sawh and Bhiro Harry. According to Ramsammy, on the night in question, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mr. George Munroe reported his driver overhearing plans by a group of about 15 persons to invade the department. Munroe reportedly left the compound shortly after advising of what he had heard. Not long after, two mini-buses with demonstrators armed with sticks and stones arrived, entered the compound and began attacking the doctors and other staff. Ramsammy said their primary targets seemed to have been Drs. Sawh and Pooran, who at the time were attending to patients, among them one in a critical condition. The doctors fled for their lives, leaving their patient. The one who was critically ill subsequently died, but Ramsammy told the Commission he could not determine whether the dead person would have survived under normal circumstances. Following this incident, Ramsammy said he no longer could have guaranteed the safety of the non-strikers and he communicated this to the Commissioner of Police and Gajraj. Subsequently, officers from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) would periodically monitor the situation. The doors of the hospital were locked, and its personnel monitored the movement of individuals. The strategy, however, did not give the staff any confidence as to their safety, the senior hospital official said. Ramsammy testified too about the hospital receiving no response to correspondence sent to the GPSU in relation to putting in place a skeleton staff during the strike. He said Dr. Hughley Hanoman, who had volunteered to accompany Mr. Allan Johnson to deliver the letter to the GPSU Regent Street headquarters, was attacked on his way out of the building. In addition, Munroe had waited in his office for nearly 10 hours for a promised return call from Yarde, which never materialised. Following a two-minute adjournment for Justice Singh to confer with Cumberbatch, the Judge on resumption, reminded the witness of the limits of the terms of reference. Ramsammy resumed his evidence by telling the Commission about hoax bomb threats received by the hospital. Those moments, he said, were very difficult, but the hospital administration had to take chances. According to him, the routine evacuation process provided logistical problems as a number of the patients were too ill to be moved around. Also, the bomb threats affected the attendance of foreign doctors, in particular the Cubans, whose Ambassador had sent a memo saying he was withdrawing their services for security reasons. Several offices such as the Physiotherapy and Pathology (Post Mortem) were temporarily closed and in one instance an operation was delayed because of the absence of the doctor to administer the anaesthesia. On another occasion, when Gynaecologist and Obstetrics surgeon, Dr. Madhu Singh was summoned to perform an emergency caesarian operation, and she was not allowed entry to the compound, Ramsammy recalled that an announcement had to be put on television pleading with union officials to assure the safety of the staff. However, by the time Hussein arrived at 21:00 hours, relatives had effected the transfer of the patient to a private hospital. It was then that an informal meeting was convened between Hussein and others in Munroe's office, where Hussein was asked to sign a statement to guarantee the safety of the staff. According to Ramsammy, the doctor/senior union official refused, and threatened to bring out a 5,000 band of protesters if the harassment continued. Ramsammy spoke of looking though a hospital window one morning and seeing three volunteers and a nurse pulling a patient on a mattress and heading for the Emergency Unit, and of a nurse-aide being beaten when she attempted to jump the gate to gain entry into the compound. The female nurse was pulled down and beaten in the full view of the Police, and had to be rescued by the Matron, he added. Also an incident in which an East Indian woman was dragged by her hair out of the compound by protesters was captured by a television cameraman. Ramsammy's testimony was collaborated by Munroe and Dr. Madan Rambarran, Director of Medical and Professional Services who gave their testimony during the afternoon session. Justice Singh sought the assistance of Rambarran to have Drs. Sawh and Pooran testify at today's hearing. A © page from: Guyana: Land of Six Peoples