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rape allegations levelled against him, his junior Anand Persaud is currently heading the ministry.

Persaud has served as the Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development since 2020.

Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo confirmed at a press conference on Thursday that Persaud has since assumed the responsibility of the ministry.

Asked if Dharamlall has also been given any leave from the People’s Progressive Party Civic pending the outcome of the investigations, Jagdeo responded in the negative.

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall

He, however, noted that Dharamlall has not attended any party meetings since allegations against him surfaced last week.

Meanwhile, Jagdeo reiterated the government’s intolerance of any misconduct. He, however, refrained from offering additional comments, opting instead to let the legal and investigative processes outlined in the Sexual Offences Act to unfold.

Dharamlall was arrested on Monday and subsequently released on $1 million station bail as investigations continue. Additionally, the politician proceeded on administrative leave this week in light of the allegations that he raped a 16-year-old schoolgirl in December 2022.

The allegation, which first surfaced last week on social media, has sparked public outrage with calls for Dharamlall to resign.

Dindyal is set to lead Guyana in the CWI Rising Stars Under-19 Three-Day and Super50 competitions in early July in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Opener Ramnauth, who has played Senior Inter-County cricket for Berbice, is also part of that squad.

The other four first-time contracted players are spinner Junior Sinclair, fast bowler Shamar Joseph, opener Matthew Nandu and wicketkeeper/batsman Kemol Savory.

Each franchise was required to name a list of 10 ‘protected’ players before the draft.

At the draft, each of the six franchises- Barbados Pride, Guyana Harpy Eagles, Jamaica Scorpions, Leeward Islands Hurricanes, Trinidad and Tobago Red Force and Windward Islands Volcanoes- were required to pick five players, one from each of the five rounds.

The Harpy Eagles protected players were Nandu, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kevlon Anderson, Savory, Tevin Imlach, Kevin Sinclair, Gudakesh Motie, Veerasammy Permaul, Nial Smith and Ronsford Beaton.

At the Draft, the Ramnaresh Sarwan-led selection panel went for Joseph, spinners Junior Sinclair and Antony Adams, and batsmen Ramnauth and Dindyal.

The Guyana Cricket Board, in a release on Thursday afternoon, said: “In keeping with draft rules, at least two of the selectees were required to be under the age of 25 on October 1, 2023. As such, the Harpy Eagles drafted some six Under-25 players to their side this season. Those players include Dindyal, Sinclair, Ramnauth, Anderson, Nandu and Joseph, all of whom had success with Guyana or West Indies during their Junior levels, which include Under-19, Under-17 etc. Kevlon Anderson regains a contract after being contracted as a CWI Emerging player last year.”

It added: “Savory in particular had been among those who continuously performed and developed over the last few seasons, in both 50-over and Four-Day Regional matches. The wicket-keeper was one of the Harpy Eagles’ prolific run-getters last Four-Day season, with an unbeaten century and half-century under his belt, helping his team to yet another Regional championship title.”

Guyana Harpy Eagles are the reigning champions of the Four-Day Championship. In terms of Super50 cricket, the last time the country won that title was in 2005.

Nigel Dharamlall has been accused of raping a 16-year-old girl and as investigations into the allegations continue, Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo said the government official will face the full consequences of his actions if found guilty.

The Vice President, during a live engagement on Wednesday, echoed President Irfaan Ali’s intolerance of any misconduct and supported the ongoing investigation into the matter.

And in clear terms, the Vice President said Dharamlall will face the full brunt of the law if found guilty.

“… if the minister is found guilty, he faces all the consequences associated with the charge,” Jagdeo said, noting that there will be no exceptions because Dharamlall is a government minister.

He added, “In the party I am from [the People’s Progressive Party Civic], we don’t take abuse of anyone lightly.”

Dharamlall was arrested on Monday and subsequently released on $1 million station bail as investigations continue. Additionally, the politician proceeded on administrative leave this week in light of the allegations that he raped a 16-year-old schoolgirl in December 2022.

The allegation, which first surfaced last week on social media, has sparked public outrage with calls for Dharamlall to resign.

Jagdeo, however, urged persons to desist from politicising the matter and instead, let the investigations unfold.

minimally invasive weight loss surgery at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), say the healthy lifestyle they now lead has greatly improved their confidence.

Teekah Singh, 33, and Sharon Stevenson, 56, were the first and second patients to undergo the life-changing laparoscopic bariatric surgery at the hospital.

On Wednesday, the pair agreed that their health has significantly improved; they encouraged others to follow a diet plan and embrace a healthy lifestyle.

The surgery is geared to reduce the stomach, therefore making it easier for persons to consume less, easily decreasing their chances of over-eating.

Singh was recommended the surgery after he tried dieting but didn’t lose weight. The surgery, a first of its kind performed locally, was carried out in February 2022.

Teekah Singh and Sharon Stevenson, who underwent the surgery (Photo: News Room/ June 21, 2023)

“Life was normal- I had my size but (I was) active because of my work, but I kept getting bigger and bigger. Then I came to the hospital to see Dr. Ramcharran [the surgery consultant] and then he related to me about the loss weight surgery,” Singh said.

He underwent a diet plan but with no progress in losing weight, Singh was approved for surgery.

He satisfied several requirements, including clinical tests and doctors’ visits to ensure he was fit for the procedure.

“After the surgery it was strictly liquid [foods] for about three months. And then we moved to softer foods like soup.

“I could eat any kind of food but not a large amount. I am far slimmer and more agile and more proud,” Singh said.

Meanwhile, Stevenson’s obesity prevented her from being able to walk properly and she also had other complications, which were all determining factors for her to undergo the surgery in August, 2022.

Sharon Stevenson before and after the surgery (Photo: Sharon Stevenson)

As a result of having hypertension and diabetes, she joined the clinic. Soon after, she was recommended for the surgery because she was obese.

“I couldn’t move about so agile, but now since the surgery I can breathe now. I’m doing everything as normal. Before this surgery, I didn’t know how difficult it was moving around with that size. But now I see the difference so you have to keep it up,” Stevenson said.

She added, “I was so proud that I got this surgery done and I feel so good. I will keep it up.”

Persons who have had the surgery eat a lower amount of food, which helps weight-loss and according to both Singh and Stevenson, being able to walk and move without restriction has transformed their lives.

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Over a year ago, the first-ever weight loss surgery was conducted at the Georgetown Public Hospital and now, with the expansion of the programme, a total of 11 persons have successfully done the surgery.

Now, more doctors are being trained in preparatory, operation and post-operation care to conduct Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery, a form of weight-loss surgery offered to persons who are obese and cannot lose weight.

This move to broaden the scope of people who can conduct and benefit from the surgeries will reduce the global health problem of obesity. At the hospital’s clinic, persons between 20 to 40 years old are commonly affected and in Guyana, 50 per cent of the population is obese.

At this time, 30 persons are expected to undergo the surgery at the GPHC; the first surgery was performed in February 2022.

On Wednesday, Dr. Natoya Lewis Frank, the general surgeon, told a news conference that the need for these surgeries warrants the expansion.

“We have four surgical teams and all of our surgeons are trained and competent to perform basic laparoscopic surgeries, such as appendectomy but at this time, we embarking on training the surgeons to perform advanced laparoscopic surgeries, so we hoping that the bariatric surgeries will be able to offer it extensively,” Dr. Frank said.

Dr. Natoya Lewis Frank, General Surgeon (Photo: News Room/ June 21, 2023)

Patients who have non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and who do not lead healthy lifestyles can benefit from this surgery if for some reason, they cannot lose weight.

Dr Hemraj Ramcharran, who is a consultant for the surgeries, noted that the surgeries are great for weight loss but importantly, to improve the lifestyle of each person, especially women who have health complications.

“It has actually been found to assist with pregnancy, especially in persons suffering from PCOS; it reduces it because it has a relationship with obesity, so by reducing the obesity, you actually improve the PCOS and so persons have a higher chance of getting pregnant,” Dr. Ramcharran said.

The minimally invasive surgery is not a “go-to” for weight loss; in fact, doctors and patients conduct multiple attempts for weight loss before the surgery is suggested. Particularly in Guyana, the doctors will refer the patient to a nutritionist and if dieting or lifestyle changes do not help, only then is the surgery approved but not without consulting several healthcare providers to ensure that the person is mentally and physically healthy to undergo such a transformation.

Dr Hemraj Ramcharran (Photo: News Room/ June 21, 2022)

According to two patients – Teekah Singh and Sharon Stevenson- who underwent the surgery, their stomach now holds less, and therefore, they know when they are full and stop eating until they feel hungry again.

“I can eat, drink, anything I want but [it’s the amount] and you [have to eat] healthy. You don’t have any problem and you must know when you’re full,” Stevenson said.

Obese persons are those persons with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. With this surgery, there is no long cut (no long incision) that is made to enter the stomach. It involves removing or limiting a section of the stomach and rearranging it to consume smaller portions of food. This can significantly help with weight loss as the person will eat less but it is not constraining.

Additionally, the doctors will monitor the patient for up to two years after the surgery as there is a risk of the person becoming obese again. However, once the patient follows the instructions of the nutritionist, uses their medication and remains disciplined with eating habits, the risk is reduced.

Importantly, bariatric surgical intervention to treat obesity is not yet routine in developing countries, proving that Guyana’s health sector has made a tremendous step forward.