Dr. Ramsammy calls on MP Figueira to apologise for ‘reckless’ and ‘irresponsible’ statement

Advisor to the Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy has called out Opposition Member of Parliament, Jermaine Figueira for his recent statement, in which he claimed that herbal medicine prevents the spread COVID-19.

Speaking with DPI on Monday, Dr. Ramsammy said the statement is reckless and irresponsible and not based on science.

“Guyana is utilising public health measures including masking, sanitisation, social distancing, the use of vaccines, they are all based on scientific evidence, science drives the policy and the measures that we use, there is no evidence in any country that herbal medicines prevent the spread of COVID-19,” Dr. Ramsammy said.

Dr. Ramsammy added that, “there is absolutely no evidence that there is any meaningful impact of herbal medicine on COVID-19. For Mr. Figueira to indicate that there are people that he knows that have used herbal medicine and have been cured is even more reckless.

“The party that he represents in parliament is on record to say that vaccination works, the leader of the opposition himself is on record to say he took the vaccine, and he urges citizens to take the vaccine, the previous minister within the ministry of health Dr. Karen Cummings who is also an MP has over the last 48 hours reiterated the call for people to take the vaccine, MP Figueira himself took the vaccine  as did the leader of the opposition and as did all of the MPs both in government and in parliament.”

The health advisor said it is time that responsible politicians, especially those in the Opposition, step forward and encourage persons to do the right thing.

“The fact that 325, 000 Guyanese have taken a first dose is encouraging, but at the same time we see a large number of persons have not taken the vaccine. We can’t talk about doing scientific study to stop something that is killing us now, because when those results come, even if it comes out positive, that they work, people will already be dead, we have to use what we have now, that does not mean that we cannot do the research we can do that, people are doing that research now.”

Dr. Ramsammy said with his position as Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Mr. Figueira should not be encouraging such irresponsible action.

“For an MP to go to a region that has the lowest vaccination rate, and that is among the localities where daily Covid cases emerge, and telling them that we can use herbal medicine as alternative is using the constituents as collateral damage, and putting lives of people for political expediency as is being done right now absolutely irresponsible, it is reprehensible.”

Dr. Ramsammy is calling on MP Figueira to apologise to both the people of Region 10, and all of Guyana.