Newly reconstituted Ethnic Relations Commission sworn in

Eight members of the newly reconstituted Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) were sworn in Tuesday by His Excellency, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, at his Shiv Chanderpaul Drive office.

The members who took the oath of office include Pandit Krishna Deo Sharma, Shaikh Moeenul Hack, Norris Emanuel Witter, Dwayne Adams, Chandrowtie Sarran, Ashton Simon, Deon Dick and Neaz Subhan.

Reverend, Rodwell Alphonso Porter and Charles Ogle who are also part of the 10-member commission, were absent from the ceremony and will be sworn in subsequently.

The exercise was executed according to Article 212 A and Article 212 B 1A of the Constitution of Guyana, which clearly states that there shall be an Ethnic Relations Commission, consisting of not less than five nor more than 15 members nominated by entities utilising a mechanism determined by the National Assembly.

In brief remarks, Pres - ident Ali underscored his government’s commitment to the process of eliminating all forms of racial discrimination.

“We work daily, long and hard through our one Guyana initiative to promote quality, compassion, opportunities and stability for the advancement of all Guyanese. We take seriously any attempts to instigate racial animosity and racial violence within our country. We severely condemn attempts that provoke racial conflict in our society,” the president emphasised.

The head of state stressed that his government will also work to ensure that persons who are found guilty of the social scourge be subject to the sanctions imposed by law.

As Guyana joins the world in observance of International Day of Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Dr Ali urged Guyanese to reject all racially laced rhetoric, and not be misled by those who choose to use race or ethnicity to divide the nation. “My government will continue under the One Guyana agenda to promote harmonious relations

Guyana will soon commence cultivation trials for millets production in Regions Four, Nine, and 10 to support the transition to large-scale production of the seed locally.

President, Dr Irfaan Ali made the announcement Saturday last, during a virtual address at the Inauguration of the Global Millet Conference in New Delhi, India.

Highlighting the instrumental role millet production plays in addressing the global food insecurity issue, Dr Ali also stated that the production here can support poverty reduction.

He said the regions represent the profit zone in which similar crops like corn and soya are adaptive and being produced on a large scale.

India has been a global leader in the production of millets, and already the PPP/C Government has committed to making some 200 acres of land available to India for exclusive millet production.

“Guyana looks forward to strengthening its cooperation with India to kickstart large, medium, and small- scale production of millets. India is the largest millet producer in the world, and through collaboration, Guyana hopes to embark soon on the sustainable production of millets,” the head of state said.

The South Asian state is expected to provide technical support and guidance during production. “Guyana has identified the production of millets as having great potential towards enhancing national and regional food security,” the president underscored.

Millets are a highly varied group of small seeds and cereal crops. They are a powerhouse of nutrients, rich in proteins, vitamins, minerals, and fibres.

Based on the required environmental conditions for millet germination, Guyana is considered an ideal zone for the growth and development of the seed.

Importantly, millet production would open up additional avenues for economic advancement, providing a new market for export.

Moreover, the crop is resilient to climate change, making it a worthwhile venture to achieve sustainability.

The undertaking is in keeping with the implementation of CARICOM’s ‘25 by 2025’ vision of reducing its food import bill by approximately US$1 billion by 2025, in dropping reliance on imported cereal grains.

“Together, we can achieve sustainable development, eliminate hunger, adapt to climate change, and transform agri-food systems by exploring every viable opportunity,” the head of state asserted.

The Global Millet ‘Shree Anna’ Conference is a twoday conference featuring health experts, policymakers, international speakers, and key stakeholders connected to the field of Food Safety and Nutrition discussing the various aspects of millets, including promotion, and value chain development. Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha is currently in India and participated in the roundtable discussion. The year was declared the International Year of Millets (IYM) by the United Nations General Assembly.

Aggressive approach will be taken to strengthen health sector – President Ali

HisExcellency President within our society, relations that are rooted in respect for human rights, the multicultural character of our society, and the equal dignity of all,” he stated.

President Ali believes that once Guyanese stand strong and refute every tongue that utters threats and instigates hatred, those efforts will hinder any weapon that aims to separate Guyana. “As we work to excise the cancer of racial discrimination from our society let us join the international community in holding the importance of this day, which reminds us that no matter the colour of one’s skin, we are all part of this common human family, and each of us is equal in dignity and rights,” the head of state noted.

The ERC is a non-political body established to promote ethnic harmony and security in Guyana.

The newly reconstituted commission comprises representatives from religious bodies, the labour movement, private business sector, youth, women, and cultural/ethnic bodies.

Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali said that there will be an aggressive approach taken to strengthen Guyana’s health sector, including through a new training programme for health workers.

The Head of State made the disclosure at the opening ceremony for a new Histopathology laboratory and 128-slice CT Scanner at the Dr. Balwant Singh Hospital on March 18, 2023.

A new 128-slice CT scan was commissioned at the Dr. Balwant Singh hospital

He said that the Government is currently examining policy-driven ways of addressing the deficiency of qualified health professionals, as well as additional ways in which migrant health workers can be encouraged to return to work in Guyana.

Ali said, “We want to position the healthcare system to be attractive to international traffic. The challenges are many, but the desire to overcome those challenges and present a platform that will position Guyana to not only be competitive, but viable, it’s unparalleled.”

Highlighting the importance of health care, the President noted that investments of this nature, add value to Guyana’s healthcare system, which serves as a “pull factor” for migrant health workers.

The modernisation of the healthcare system, the President explained, depends on the building out of infrastructure and an ecosystem that promotes better diagnostic capabilities, a task which is high on the Government’s health agenda.

It was explained that the Government is targeting advancements in the health sector from all angles, including through legislation, education and accessibility, which, President Ali noted, is the primary objective of the public healthcare system.

Further, he identified the link between the public and private health sectors and their combined responsibilities in delivering quality health care to Guyanese. He said, “The public healthcare system in Guyana must complement the private healthcare system. It is not running on two different tracks. Public healthcare must be able to deliver efficiently and in a reliable manner, excellent primary healthcare. It must support the key investment in private healthcare because private healthcare must be able to deliver specialised care. “The role of the Government is to facilitate growth and development, to put the programmes and policies in place that will enable the citizens and the private sector to make the investment in response to those policies.”

Meanwhile, the CEO of the hospital, Dr Madhu Singh, said that the new lab and CT scanner represent a significant advancement in Guyana’s healthcare system. It will enhance the ability of the hospital’s pathologists in identifying the causes of diseases and broadening treatment options.

The 128-slice CT scanner has more detectors than the average CT scanner machine, which means that it provides detailed images with higher resolution, faster scanning speed and superior quality.

It is also adaptable and would be able to provide three-dimensional images for almost any patient.

Minister of Education, the Honourable Priya Manickchand, Advisor to the Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, and other Government officials and stakeholders were also at the ceremony.