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See below the full statement issued by the Government of Guyana: 

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For the year so far, 43 per cent of the deaths recorded on the country’s roadway were motorcyclists, majority of whom were not wearing helmets.

“So far this year, 43% of all road fatalities were motorcyclists, and of those who lost their lives, 72% were not wearing a helmet,” President Dr Irfaan Ali disclosed on Wednesday afternoon.

The President made the revelation in a Facebook post, as he urged road users, particularly motorcyclists to exercise “extreme” caution of the roadways.

Within the past 24-hours, two motorcyclists were seriously injured in separate accidents.

They are: Andrew Simpson  and Esan Josiah.

In both accidents, neither of the men were wearing a helmet.

Simpson was injured after he collided with a motorcar which failed to stop at the intersection on Camp and Norton Streets, Georgetown on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Josiah, collided with a concrete median at Meadow Bank on Tuesday night.

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Esan Josiah, a 32-year-old motorcyclist, is now injured after he was involved in an accident on Meadow Bank Public Road on Tuesday night.

Police said the accident occurred around 22:00 hrs.

Josiah, of La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara, was on motorcycle, CP 1255 when he collided with a concrete median.

“Inquiries revealed that motorcycle was proceeding south along the eastern carriageway when the driver (in the vicinity of National Hardware Store) lost control and collided with the concrete median,” Police Headquarter said.

At the time, Josiah was not wearing a helmet.

Following the collision, Josiah sustained injuries about his body.

He was picked up by Emergency Medical Technicians and transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was admitted. His condition is listed as stable.

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Forty-two-year-old Andrew Simpson is currently hospitalised after he was injured during a collision with a motorcar on Camp and Norton Streets, Georgetown on Wednesday.

The incident occurred at about 01:00hrs.

Simpson was the rider of motorcycle, CN 9518. He collided with motorcar, PAC 9667, owned and driven by Christopher Washington, a 24-year-old resident of Front Road, West Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

Police Headquarters, in a statement, said inquiries revealed that the motorcar was heading west along the southern lane of Norton Street when the driver failed to stop at the intersection of Camp and Norton Street.

As a result, he drove into the path of Simpson motorcycle causing a collision.

Simpson was thrown into the air and landed onto the front of motorcar, PAG 696, which was proceeding north along the western drive lane of Camp Street before landing on the road.

At the time, Simpson was not wearing a helmet. The ambulance service was summoned and Simpson was taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, where he was admitted. His condition is listed as stable.

“Notices of intended prosecution were served on the drivers as investigation continues,” Police Headquarter said.

The post Motorcyclist, 42, injured following collision with car appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Alfred Madramootoo called ‘Roach’, an 18-year-old miner of Liliendaal, Georgetown, was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment after he was charged with simply larceny.

Police Headquarters reported that Madramootoo was arrested last week Tuesday.

On Wednesday, he appeared at the Port Kaituma Magistrate’s Court via Zoom, before Magistrate Rabindrinauth Singh where the charge was read to him and he pleaded guilty.

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Guyanese writer Subraj Singh has been named on a 25‑strong shortlist for the 2025 Commonwealth Short Story Prize—selected from almost a record breaking 8,000 entries, the highest number in the award’s 38‑year history.

Singh’s story, Margot’s Run, follows a mother who clutches her infant as a fiery ball circles her cottage, forcing her to confront a blood‑seeking creature drawn from Guyanese folklore.

The young writer holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Maryland and has attended the Clarion West and Tin House workshops. In 2023 he completed the University of Iowa’s International Writing Programme.

The prize’s international panel chose writers from 18 Commonwealth nations, with Antigua and Barbuda and Saint Lucia appearing for the first time. The finalists range in age from 21 to 75. Their stories span war‑time friendships, Beijing taxi rides, perilous sea voyages and a ‘sacred’ tamarind tree guarding a village secret.

“A great story moves us, makes us think, and sometimes changes us,” said Dr Vilsoni Hereniko, chair of judges. “This shortlist of relevant, vibrant, and essential reading is made up of the best 25 stories from a pool of almost 8,000 entries.”

Commonwealth Foundation Director‑General Dr Anne T Gallagher praised the entrants’ “breadth of voices, perspectives and experiences”, calling the shortlist “a powerful reminder of the creative energy that unites us”.

Five regional winners will be announced on 14 May; the overall winner follows on 25 June. All shortlisted stories will be published in “adda”, the foundation’s online magazine.

The post Guyanese Subraj Singh shortlisted for Commonwealth Short Story Prize appeared first on News Room Guyana.

See below the full release from GT Automotive:

Georgetown, Guyana. April 16, 2025: GT Automotive has officially launched in Guyana as the exclusive dealer for BYD (Build Your Dreams), the world’s fastest-growing electric vehicle brand and the global leader in EV sales by volume.

Now available in Guyana are five of BYD’s most in-demand models: the Dolphin, a sleek and efficient fully-electric hatchback; the Yuan Plus, a tech-forward compact SUV; the Sealion, a bold electric SUV delivering power and range; the Seal, a luxury sedan with striking design and dynamic performance; and the Song Plus DM-i, a plug-in hybrid SUV designed for drivers who want the best of both worlds.

Operations Manager at GT Automotive, Sheri Rodrigues

The highly anticipated BYD Shark, an all-new plug-in hybrid pickup, is expected to arrive before Q3 2025, further expanding the lineup to meet the needs of both personal and commercial drivers.

GT Automotive offers full after-sales service, maintenance, and ongoing support to make EV ownership easy and accessible. The dealership will also offer flexible financing options, enabling customers to purchase a brand-new BYD electric or hybrid vehicle with low monthly payments.

“This is more than a new car brand—this is a shift in how we think about driving,” said Sheri Rodrigues, Operations Manager at GT Automotive.

“We recognize that EVs are new for most Guyanese drivers. That’s why we’re focused on more than just sales, we’re building trust, offering expert guidance, and peace of mind.”

Globally, BYD has surpassed Tesla in annual EV sales. With cutting-edge battery technology, advanced safety features, and futuristic design, BYD sets the standard in electric mobility.

To schedule a test drive or one-on-one consultation, customers are invited to contact GT Automotive on WhatsApp +592-741-6666 or email: sales@gtautomotive.gy.

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Abnormal bleeding after minor medical procedures and bruises that cannot be accounted for are among the major signs that a person has a condition known as haemophilia.

And according to local hematologist, Dr. Kamela Bemaul-Sukhu, too often people ignore these symptoms.

World Haemophilia Day is observed on April 17 every year and this year’s theme is “Access for all: women and girls bleed too.”

This is a powerful message that emphasises the need for awareness and better diagnosis and treatment for girls and women with bleeding disorders.

Haemophilia is an inherited blood disorder where one of the factors responsible for blood clotting is missing. Blood clotting is necessary to stop persons from bleeding-out (excessively) as this can lead to death.

During an interview with the News Room on Wednesday, Dr. Bemaul-Sukhu urged persons to stop ignoring these signs.

“Because they [females] know their mother bled a lot or their sister or sibling bleeds a lot, they tend to think ‘oh well this normal.’

“I want to say to them no it’s not normal, you need to seek medical attention,” Dr. Bemaul-Sukhu said.

She explained that heavy bleeding during menstruation should not be accepted as a normal symptom.

She added that this disorder is extremely underdiagnosed. Males who have this disorder often notice signs of excessive bleeding during minor procedures such as tooth extractions and may later on develop joint disorders.

Factor concentrates are the products used to treat bleeding disorders in people with haemophilia.

It is important that these symptoms are noticed early on and attention is given to these persons to avoid medical issues later on.

“For example, you may have a child who started walking, fall, hit [somewhere], usually you wouldn’t see a black and blue but if you see it happen with your child, every time they fall, they have a big black and blue or their joint is swollen, then these are definitely red flags that you should start thinking that maybe something is not right here,” the hematologist said.

She said that in many instances the patients will visit health centres and later, the hospital where they are diagnosed and can have access to treatment to help with the severe bleeding.

“Severe types of haemophilia affects mostly males and these patients will have bleeding mostly into the joints. So after time of getting bleeding from time to time, then they end up getting deformity of the joints,” she said.

A doctor treating patients with hemophilia will use medications that can reduce the bleeding. A product known as ‘factor’’ concentrates are given to these patients to prevent bleeding further complications can occur. The costly treatment options for hemophilia are donated by the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH).

The post ‘Don’t ignore abnormal bruises, bleeding’ – Local hematologist appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Jer Sweany Calder, a driver who was caught speeding, was also charged and fined for driving with heavily tinted windows and for having an obscured number plate.

Calder appeared at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Abigail Gibbs where he pleaded guilty to the offences. He was charged with Prohibition of Tinted Glass and Obscured Identification Mark (Licence Plate).

The court imposed fines of $7,500 for the tinted windows and $40,000 for the obscured licence plate.

Calder was arrested on April 8, 2025 by Inspector Scott along the Mon Repos Public Road, East Coast Demerara, for exceeding the speed limit.

The post Driver charged, fined for ‘tint’ and obscured licence plate appeared first on News Room Guyana.

Over 750 persons graduated from a hybrid nursing assistant training programme on Tuesday, and Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony encouraged them to continue advancing their careers.

This was the largest batch of nursing assistants.

During the ceremony held at the National Cultural Centre, Dr. Anthony urged them to improve their health care knowledge and build a career in health care.

“We see you moving from becoming a nursing assistant to getting into the registered nursing programme and the work that you would’ve done now and the experience that you’ve gained by working, that should count as you move on into a different programme at a higher level,” said Dr. Anthony.

Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony speaking at the graduation (Photo: DPI/ April 15, 2025)

He further noted that the government is constantly looking into programmes to provide career longevity for the healthcare sector.

“In every area of medicine, there are specialties, so we want some of you to be surgical nurses, we want some of you to be persons who would work in surgical theatres… we are creating these types of specialties,” the minister said.

Already, each graduate will be employed by the Ministry of Health as part of the government’s initiative to promote job security and provide employment opportunities.

The hybrid curriculum approach was identified as a way of providing competent and adequate nursing assistants who can access their training while catering to their personal needs. Becuase of this focus, a programme that was once 18 months long has been reduced to just 12.

Through this programme, the students learn via the Coursera platform and also use the simulation centers operational in the country.

The graduates hailed from each region. There were 19 graduates from Region One, 52 from Region Two, 72 from Region Three, 123 from Region Four, 119 from Region Five, 153 from Region Six, 22 from Region Seven, 17 from Region Eight, 19 from Region Nine, and 133 from Region Ten. Additionally, there were 35 graduates from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

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