Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed has renewed calls for an independent investigation into the MV Barima tragedy, expressing a lack of confidence in a Commission of Inquiry that has been appointed solely by the Government.
In a video posted yesterday by Team Mohamed’s Facebook page, Mohamed said families of those who died or remain missing were still grieving and searching for answers, while survivors and affected families continued to face difficulties.
He noted that the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party had provided financial and other assistance to 21 survivors, 31 families of deceased victims and six families of people still missing. “We did not wait for a press conference. We went to the people,” he said.
He questioned what had become of previous government-appointed commissions and their recommendations, arguing that the public should be concerned about whether another inquiry would result in meaningful accountability.
Mohamed said he did not have confidence in a Commission of Inquiry whose members are selected entirely by the Government. He also called for the removal of Ministers Deodat Indar and Juan Edghill while the investigation is under way.
According to him, anyone who could potentially be implicated in the circumstances surrounding the tragedy should not remain in a position from which they could influence the investigation.
The MV Barima, which was travelling from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, capsized off Guyana’s coast after departing Georgetown on July 18. The vessel issued a distress call shortly after 11 p.m. before going down near the mouth of the Pomeroon River.
The disaster resulted in a massive search-and-rescue operation involving Guyanese state agencies, private vessels and international assistance. Dozens of passengers were rescued, while scores of bodies were recovered.
Not the reality
Meanwhile, in his video, Mohamed also addressed the state of Guyana’s healthcare system, challenging President Irfaan Ali’s claims about improvements in emergency and outpatient care.
He questioned references to 10-minute emergency care and 30-minute outpatient services, arguing that those targets do not reflect the experience of many patients. “That is not the reality people are experiencing,” Mohamed said.
He said patients continue to spend hours waiting at hospitals, while some are transferred because of inadequate equipment and others encounter shortages of beds and medication.
Mohamed further criticised the Government’s approach to hospital construction, arguing that new buildings alone would not improve healthcare without sufficient medical equipment and trained personnel.
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