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https://kiskadeewatch.com/opinion/letters/govt-officials-have-made-false-claims-about-the-building-of-hospital-at-kamarang/
Letters To The Editor

Gov’t officials have made false claims about the building of hospital at Kamarang

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Dear Editor,

Why it took a Presidential visit in the form of a visit by President Irfaan Ali to unearth the truth and the only person who got punished was an official in the Ministry of Health who was sent home for two weeks?  I am referring to the issue of building a hospital at Kamarang as promised by the PPP during the elections campaign of 2020, six years ago and still there is no hospital.

I have reviewed the recent statements by the Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony and Minister Gail Teixeira regarding the proposed hospital in Kamarang. I must reject these claims as false, misleading, and a deliberate attempt to deflect blame.

The facts are clear

Toshao Alma Marshall has provided documentary evidence proving that in 2023, the Kamarang Village Council reached a consensus to approve 10 acres of land for the hospital. The village said yes. The documents exist. The land was granted.

Yet the Ministry of Health continues to claim that the village council and the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) blocked the project. This is simply untrue.  First off, Mr. Anthony is clueless on the law, the APA has zero power to block any project, only the village council can object and they facts are showing they did not object.

Minister Teixeira’s falsehoods

At the National Toshaos Council meeting, Minister Teixeira confronted Toshao Marshall with these baseless allegations. The Toshao responded directly: “You have to get facts before you can accuse me or the village council of blocking development. This is not true.”

Despite this clear rebuttal, Minister Teixeira and the Ministry of Health have continued to repeat the falsehood. This is not a misunderstanding. It is a deliberate misrepresentation of the facts by Minister Teixeira.  Isn’t this what you call gas lighting?  

This is the fact – The Government has not followed through

Toshao Marshall has stated that despite the village’s cooperation, there has been no official communication from the government. No letter acknowledging the land release from the village. No explanation of why the project has stalled. No follow-up at all.

The government asked for land. The community gave it. And then the government did nothing. Now they blame the community for the delay. This is unjust and dishonest.

At the minimum the following should be done

·       The Ministry of Health must retract its false statements..

·       Minister Gail Teixeira must apologise to Toshao Alma Marshall and the village council.

·       The government must explain why the hospital project has not progressed on the land that was already granted.

·       The government must finally demonstrate a genuine commitment to Indigenous health—not through speeches, but through action, build the hospital.

The facts are simple: the community said yes. The government failed to act. And now they are blaming the community for their own inaction.

Yours faithfully,

Surujdai Juglall 

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