I wish to bring to the public
’s attention the disrespectful behaviour of a Welfare Officer at the Amerindian Hostel.
On May 16th I was at the Hostel at the invitation of a relative who was there with his child. The child was suffering from a tumour which was causing the eye to bulge out of the child’s face. The man and his child were at the Hostel since January of this year seeking medical attention.
When I met with him on May 16th he expressed dis-satisfaction with the length of time his child was forced to wait for medical attention as the child’s condition was getting worse and there seems to be no urgency in getting the child looked after since, the condition was one that needed urgent overseas medical attention.
While speaking with the father a female at the Hostel came up and started to abuse me in a loud and aggressive manner. On questioning her I learnt that she was a Welfare Officer. It is sad to say that this person demonstrated a very poor level of socially acceptable behaviour.
While there I called a colleague Member of Parliament to update her on the situation. During the telephone conversation I told my colleague that a Welfare Office had informed me that an Ambulance was coming to pick up the child to take her to the hospital. It was at this point that the Welfare Officer started yelling that I must not make a wrong report and even called the guards to put me out of the compound. The guards did as instructed and I was escorted out of the compound.
Even as I was being taken out of the compound the Welfare Officer continued to shout that I do not belong at the Hostel, I don’t work there, I had no right being there and who gave me permission to enter the compound. She was shouting at the top of her voice asking “who allowed this person in here?” Needless to say it was all very upsetting to the rest of the Amerindian people who were at the Hostel.
The staff at the Amerindian Hostel must bear in mind at all times that the Hostel is there for all Amerindian people and they must treat everyone with courtesy and respect. No member of staff must believe that they have the right to discriminate and abuse Amerindians whenever they make a visit to the Hostel or are forced to reside there for a while.
At a time when the Government claims that it care so much about Amerindians and is dedicated to Amerindian development, we find government employees being allowed to get away with abusing Amerindians. This sort of conduct must be condemned and persons guilty of such behaviour must be disciplined.
Amerindians are forced to stay at the Hostel because most of them would be seeking services in Georgetown that they cannot access in their villages, such as medical services and they have no relative that they can stay at while in Georgetown.
I was shocked and totally disappointed at the way a staff at the hostel would treat a Member of Parliament in that manner and make her look like a criminal. I can only assume that the ordinary Amerindians face worse and are made to suffer even more degrading treatment.
While Amerindians are brought to Georgetown to join picket lines, little is being done to ensure that they do not receive ill treatment at the hands of the staff and are taken advantage of because of their circumstances
The Ministry of Amerindian Affairs must ensure that when Amerindians are in Georgetown for medical treatment, that such treatment is provided in the shortest possible time so the people can return to their homes and for whatever length of time they have to stay at the Hostel, that they are treated with dignity.
In closing, let me say that while I was at the Hostel, the ambulance was called to collect the child and within a couple of days the child was being prepared to travel overseas for medical treatment. The condition had become that urgent.
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