By Sue-Ann Wayow
PRIME Minister Dr Keith Rowley has insulted Guyana and all countries using the Russian created Sputnik V vaccine.
Guyana’s advisor to the Ministry of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy called Dr Rowley’s statements reckless and also hit at his own management of the vaccination drive in Trinidad and Tobago.
But Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs sought to defend Dr Rowley on Friday.
In a statement on Wednesday, Dr Ramsammy said, “The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago is out of line. Reckless too. He insulted Guyana and the 74 countries that presently are using vaccines like Sputnik V.
“Guyana has utilised three vaccines in our programme – Astra Zeneca, SinoPharm and Sputnik V. So far, more than 225,000 persons (48% of the adult population in Guyana) have received their first dose vaccines.
“Of these persons, 95,000 (20% of the adult population) are now fully vaccinated, having also received their second dose vaccines.
“President Irfaan Ali and his Government acted in the best interest of our people and, globally and in CARICOM, Guyana’s bold and decisive actions on COVID-19 vaccination is acknowledged and admired.”
Dr Ramsammy added, “I will not comment on how Prime Minister Rowley has managed his country’s vaccine programme; how he has managed the island’s vaccine programme is a matter his people have already pronounced on. The criticism from his own people must be stinging enough for Prime Minister Rowley to attempt changing the narrative.”
Dr Rowley who is also CARICOM’s chairman has constantly maintained that Trinidad and Tobago will only use World Health Organization (WHO) approved vaccines and the country is currently administering the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine.
In a press release on Thursday, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) stated that it supports its Government in its present vaccination drive.
The chamber stated that Guyanese Opposition Leader Joseph Harmon statements Guyana was using fake vaccines were reckless and unwarranted.
The GCCI stated, “We also note with concern the recent posturing by the chairman of CARICOM, Dr Keith Rowley implying that the vaccinations, which are being given to Guyanese are unsafe. This comes as no surprise as Dr Rowley fulfills his historical trait of demonstrating scant regard for the lives of Guyanese. We find these efforts by the Leader of the Opposition of Guyana and the Chairman of CARICOM to be utterly reprehensible, callous and irresponsible and condemn these efforts to score cheap political points.”
Trinidad and Tobago’s Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM affairs issued a press release stating that the GCCI was slanderous in its statements.
The ministry stated that it was unfortunate that after the T&T Government offered to assist Guyana in flood reliefs through CARICOM that such statements were being made.
The ministry stated, “The Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs strongly condemns the published falsehoods against Prime Minister Rowley by Dr Ramsammy and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry and calls upon the authorities in Guyana to disassociate themselves from such unwarranted, scurrilous and disrespectful attacks on the sitting Chairman of CARICOM which incidentally is headquartered in Georgetown, Co-operative Republic of Guyana.”
