Opposition alliance appalled at `vanity medical procedures’ for gov’t officials

A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change say they are appalled at the recent revelations of senior officials, including ministers of the minority PPP government using public funds to the tune of millions for “vanity medical procedures.”

In a statement yesterday, it said that while Guyanese must suffer with a poor public healthcare system Ministers Pauline Sukhai and Jennifer Webster among others have been found to have spent millions of dollars on procedures which have not been deemed to be critical or life-saving.

It said that at the same time that PPP officials are haemorrhaging monies from the public coffers on their teeth and other “narcissistic” procedures, ordinary Guyanese who are faced with large medical bills are being turned away from government offices when they seek public aid.

The alliance said that the levels to which the disparity between the ordinary Guyanese and this elite group of PPP ministers and their friends have reached is obscene.

APNU+AFC called on all Guyanese to “condemn this blatant abuse of the tax dollars”.

It said that APNU+AFC commits to responsible and equitable distribution of funds for medical procedures for all Guyanese and also to a comprehensive overhaul of the healthcare system.

The statement said that an APNU+AFC government will:

  • adequately staff hospitals, medical centres and medical outposts with trained medical personnel
  • adequately equip hospitals, medical centres and medical outposts with modern equipment
  • adequately furnish hospitals, medical centres and medical outposts with medicine
  • expand and enhance the regional health care system