Georgetown Hospital Staff met with a surprise attack from Craig residents

    Yesterday July 15th just around 19 h (7pm) a gang of about 20 residents of Craig Village on the East Bank Of Demerara attacked members of the Georgetown Public Hospital Cooperation (GPHC) who transporting a patient to his residence at 92 second street. According to information from the institution earlier in the day at around 11h and 12h, one of GPHC’s Medical Social Workers visited the patient’s home and informed his relatives that he will be brought home later in the day. Upon their return that evening, the Social Worker and other GPHC Staff found the patient’s home in total darkness and a chained gate, which was not present on their earlier visit. They were also greeted firstly by a fuming female villager who said that the occupants of the home had moved earlier. She began to verbally abuse the staff, and subsequently joined by approximately 18-19 other villagers who placed large obstacles such as bicycles, wood, garbage drums, inter alia, in front of the ambulance and who also joined in the abuse of the staff; threatening as well as profane language was directed at the staff. A few villagers also photographed the Social Worker while carrying out her duties, an act which is deemed unlawful. The Public relations Department within the hospital disclosed that over the years, GPHC has had to face similar cases whereby relatives blatantly refuse to take their relatives in after they would have been discharged from the hospital; it has never however reached this violent magnitude. On an average per month, GPHC accommodates a total of approximately six to eight destitute and/or patients whose relatives refuse to take them home after discharge. This problem also exists with patients who die in the hospital and whose relatives do not claim their bodies and take them to a funeral home. GPHC is then forced to undertake the responsibility of providing a poor burial, which costs the hospital hundreds of thousands of dollars yearly.