Mentore admits Council delayed relocation of GPHC vendors, promises action this week

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has moved to the High Court seeking orders to remove vendors operating around the hospital, as City Hall now admits to delays in addressing the long-standing issue and promises action within the week.

Georgetown Mayor Alfred Mentore on Wednesday, in an invited comment to the News Room admitted that the City Engineers Department failed to continue its work in relocating the movement of the vendors operating within the vicinity of the hospital. His comments follow a Fixed Date Application filed on Tuesday, in which GPHC is asking the court to compel the Mayor and City Council to clear food vendors, carts and stalls from key streets surrounding the hospital, including Lamaha, East, Middle and New Market streets.

“We’ve asked the engineers to move the caravans from East Street to prepare that area to permanently move to them to that area.

“They took some time to deal with that and hence, it slipped off the radar… they’ve had to accelerate the action on that and they have since moved to be able to execute on the aspect of the paving of that area in East Street and to move those persons,” Mentore said.

The hospital argues that the continued presence of vendors is severely affecting its operations, particularly emergency access and the movement of patients and staff. GPHC continues to reference multiple attempts over the years to have the issue addressed, including letters sent to City Hall in January. Despite assurances in 2025, the hospital said no meaningful action was taken.

But Mentore has acknowledged that the matter was delayed on the City’s end, attributing it to slow movement within the engineering department. He said the vendors were to be relocated to a parking lot nearby but the works to ensure it could facilitate vending was stalled due to persons going on leave without transferring the information.

He said that in light of the court action, the City has since accelerated its response, with works already underway to prepare the relocation site.

“I don’t want to go to court on that matter. In good faith, ourselves and the hospital would’ve discussed the matter and we would’ve agreed on what the engineering department should’ve done and now they are going to execute on that,” he said.

He added that vendors had previously been asked to shift to a nearby vacant space but some have since returned to the hospital’s vicinity. 

“The persons knew that we asked them to shift… those persons who have since violated that and gone in front the hospital, we’ve asked the City Constabulary to ensure that they move and if they don’t, to prosecute them,” Mentore said.

While the matter is expected to be heard before the High Court in the coming weeks, Mentore said it is his intention to have to work accelerated and the vendors relocated permanently during this week.

 

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