Stop wasting money! – Kaieteur News

(Kaieteur News) – Government has to stop wasting money in Guyana and begin treating basic human needs as the true measure of national progress. Development cannot be judged only by grand projects, ribbon cuttings and inequitable cash grants distribution when so many citizens are struggling quietly in the shadows.

A case in point is the transportation grant which is being given to every school child starting today, regardless of needs of means. That money could have been better deployed towards helping for whom transportation costs to get to school is a real burden and to address other needs in our society.

Across every sector and every community, the needs are visible. There is a lot to be fixed in our society. And to be fair to the government all the needs cannot be fixed at once.  This is why priority has to be given to urgent human needs, one of the most pressing of which is the needs of our elderly.

One of the clearest failures in our society is elderly care, which remains deeply inadequate. Too many older citizens are left in conditions that fall far below what any humane society should accept.

This column has in the past repeatedly drawn attention to the poor state of elderly homes and related facilities. Those commentaries have highlighted neglect, inadequate resources, and a lack of privacy and dignity in the way some vulnerable citizens are treated.

This reality has not changed enough. The conditions described in many of the country’s elderly homes should shock the national conscience.

Things should be far better in a country that now has access to significant financial resources. Yet the gap between potential and reality remains painfully wide in the area of social care.

It is also important not to assume that government alone can solve every problem. However, in Guyana the level of corporate social responsibility across most sectors remains limited and inconsistent. Too many of our business folks are reluctant to give to charitable and sporting causes in the country. But when a sportsman or women do well, many line up for selfies.

A handful of major firms do meaningful work, but they are the exception rather than the rule. As a result, demands for better elderly care inevitably falls back on the state whether it is fully prepared or not.

In such a context, the government must carve out a deliberate and structured role in elderly care. This cannot be left to chance, charity, or occasional goodwill initiatives.

There are too many elderly persons who are effectively abandoned in public hospitals after treatment. These individuals often have no proper place to go and end up occupying beds or makeshift spaces for extended periods. Some end up on the streets when discharged.

Others remain in their homes but live-in substandard conditions where care is inconsistent or inadequate. Even when families are willing, they are often overwhelmed by the physical and financial demands involved in taking care of elderly loved ones.

For example, elderly persons with serious medical conditions require more than occasional attention or informal support. They often need full-time institutional care that combines shelter, medical supervision, and daily assistance.

To hire someone to take care of your elderly relatives is costly. Nurses who moonlight by offering their services to private individuals demand a huge sum, far more than their hourly rates at the hospitals at which they work.

Most families cannot afford to pay for private elderly care. It is too expensive.

This includes help with basic tasks such as feeding, bathing, and mobility, which cannot always be provided in a home setting. The absence of such structured support leads to unnecessary suffering and avoidable decline in quality of life.

Families should not be expected to carry these burdens alone when the level of care required is beyond their capacity. Many caregivers themselves are elderly or economically constrained, creating a cycle of strain and vulnerability.

A properly designed state-supported elderly care system would relieve pressure on hospitals and families alike. It would also ensure that dignity, safety, and medical oversight are built into the system rather than left to chance.

This is not merely a welfare issue but a question of national priorities and moral responsibility. A society is judged in part by how it treats those who can no longer fully care for themselves.

At present, too much public spending appears directed toward visible but less urgent projects while essential social infrastructure lags behind. This imbalance raises legitimate questions about policy direction and long-term planning.

Reallocating resources toward elderly care would not mean abandoning development ambitions. It would mean grounding those ambitions in a more humane and sustainable understanding of progress.

Non-governmental organisations and community groups can play a role, but they cannot substitute for a coordinated national system. Without state leadership, efforts remain fragmented and insufficient.

The government should therefore establish properly funded and regulated elderly care facilities across the country. These should be staffed, equipped, and integrated into the wider public health system.

Ultimately, a shift in thinking is required, where elderly care is concerned. Until that shift occurs, many of the most vulnerable citizens will continue to suffer in silence and under terrible conditions.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper