Dear Editor,

About two or three years ago, the construction of a handsome structure made of concrete and painted in white and green was completed. The building was supposedly built to house a blood bank in Berbice. The building stands in the compound of the New Amsterdam Public Hospital. Today, this building, with guard hut and even air conditioners attached, still stands empty. It appears that the authorities have no intention of occupying the structure any time soon.

I contacted the PRO of the hospital, Ms Gloria Beharry, who recommended that I contact “the facility’s director,” Mr John Poonai, which I did. Mr Poonai, too, did not have much information for me that afternoon. In fact, I believe he spoke to me in a rather defensive tone when I mentioned I was writing to the press. He suggested that any further discussion on the building would have to engage the attention of the CEO of the NA Hospital who happens to be the head of the Berbice Regional Health Authority, Dr Vishwa Mahadeo. I made a decision not to make any further contacts since I believe that I was being ushered into a wild goose chase.    After trying to access answers I now ask the question in this public forum, is the blood bank building in the New Amsterdam Hospital compound another one of the government’s white elephants?

Yours faithfully,
Leon Suseran

Editor’s note
We are sending a copy of this letter to Dr Vishwa Mahadeo for any comment he might wish to make.