Minister of Amerindian Affairs Sarah Browne-Shadeek strongly rejected claims made in the National Assembly by an Opposition Member of Parliament regarding alleged neglect of health services and infrastructure in Region One (Barima-Waini).
Speaking with the National Communications Network (NCN) on the sidelines of the Budget 2026 debates on Monday, the minister corrected inaccurate and misleading statements made by an Opposition MP.
The minister said that when the statements were made in the sitting, she immediately contacted the Regional Health Officer (RHO) to verify their authenticity because no health facility should be neglected.
Based on the response given to her, the information presented in the National Assembly proceedings did not reflect the reality on the ground.
“The mortuary is functioning as we speak, and only in December there was a post-mortem done there, a body was stored there,” she clarified.
“In Mabruma, I have video evidence of the water flowing, the same thing in the Port Kaituma District Hospital,” Minister Browne-Shadeek said, further contradicting claims that basic services were absent.
Over the past five years, healthcare delivery across the hinterland has improved significantly; a modern state-of-the-art hospital is currently being built in the Moruca sub-district, which will provide a wider range of services similar to the other regional hospitals.
Minister Browne-Shadeek contrasted the improvements with conditions approximately five years ago, recalling severe shortages of drugs and medical supplies at health facilities across the region.
Addressing broader criticisms, Browne-Shadeek said substantial investments in Region One are clearly outlined in the national budget and have resulted in measurable improvements in living standards.
She pointed out housing support programs that provided $3 million to villages in the hinterland to help vulnerable households with repairs and materials.
The minister also dismissed claims that sports development has been neglected, noting that the government has provided $1 million annually for two consecutive years to each of the 254 hinterland villages, along with ongoing plans to develop and upgrade sports facilities in communities including Santa Rosa, Mabaruma and Port Kaituma.
”Where we are today, it’s not where we want to be, but compared to where we were about five years ago, we are a hundred, maybe a thousand per cent better. And it’s only going to get better with Budget 2026 and moving forward under this government,” the minister declared.
Minister Browne-Shadeek is scheduled to address the National Assembly on Day Two of the Budget 2026 debate.