| Representatives of various Human Rights entities yesterday picketed outside the Brickdam, Georgetown,Wholesale Jerseys 2018, Ministry of Health,cheap jerseys, in an attempt to condemn recent comments by Health Minister, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, that 23-year-old Colwyn Harding’s condition was merely linked to an “incarcerated hernia.”The Minister in Parliament on Thursday last made the disclosure as he responded to questions posted by members of the parliamentary opposition in relation to the alleged sexual assault Harding suffered at the hands of a police officer while in custody.The placard-bearing picketers included representatives from Red Thread, the Justice Institute of Guyana, Guyana Trans United and the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination, all of whom insisted that the remarks of the Minister was intended to prejudice the public perception and opinions about the facts that have really taken place.Human Rights activists picketing outside the Health Ministry yesterdayAccording to Joel Simpson of SASOD the situation is particularly daunting in light of the fact that there have been no reports that a forensic medical investigation has commenced or is likely to commence to determine to what extent a sexual assault, if any, had taken place.Moreover, he insisted that “the Minister’s comments in Parliament, we find very inappropriate…to say he (Harding) is only being treated for hernia…”Added to this, Simpson said that the picket was also intended to amplify concerns in relation to the medical care administered to Harding at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). There are reports that there was a lack of colostomy bags required for Harding’s condition as well as an ointment.At a press conference on Friday last, Chief Executive Officer of the Hospital, Michael Khan, said that he was not aware of the lack of the items. But according to Simpson, “as far as I am aware he never got any bags,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, even after those comments.”Simpson further condemned the remarks of the hospital’s CEO even as he insisted that “that was a totally inadequate response for the CEO of the hospital to come before the nation and say…he should have said the matter is under investigation and apologised for that lack of care and lack of supplies.”Also expressing himself at the picket yesterday was Norwell Hinds who described himself as a “concerned citizen of Guyana.” Hinds in vocalising his convictions said that the whole state of affairs is one that epitomises “gross injustice and a human rights violation” and therefore must be of concern to all Guyanese.“What happened to Colwyn (Harding) could happen to all of us. I think we have to be concerned with this situation of violence against people; brutality at the hands of the state, because the Police Force is an institution of the state and therefore when acts like this happen it is an act of the state,” Hinds insisted.According to him, the population has been able to witness an act of “negligence and complicity” on the part of the state compounded by unsatisfactory comments from the Health Minister and the manager of the country’s main health institution.The company of Human Rights activists had previously picketed the Home Affairs Ministry, the Police Headquarters at Eve Leary and Parliament buildings to amplify their concerns. And according to Simpson, the picketing action is not likely to come to an end until “justice is served…By justice we mean that the perpetrator is brought before the courts and punished.”Added to this, the picketers are demanding that an immediate,Wholesale Basketball Jerseys, independent and impartial investigation be conducted in relation to Harding’s allegations.“We do not think that the Police can investigate this matter fairly…You cannot put the police to investigate the police, especially given the historical context of the number of abuses that have taken place at the hands of the Guyana Police Force,” noted a passionate Simpson.“I think the incident of the ‘tortured teen’ that was publicised on the front page of the Kaieteur News is still very much on everybody’s mind and there is no way, under no circumstance,NFL Jerseys From China, that any report coming from the Office of Professional Responsibility,Cheap NFL Jerseys, the Police Complaints Authority or any of those bodies related to the Police Force, will be accepted with any sort of confidence by the public,” Simpson cautioned. |
