The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) is once again appealing to the Mayor and City Councillors of Georgetown to remove the vendors it says are obstructing the free flow of traffic to and from the health institution.
Attorney-at-Law, Sase Gunraj has given the M&CC, on behalf of the client, the GPHC, seven days to comply with the request or face legal action.
The request has been hinged upon the recent court ruling in favour of Demico House regarding the removal of vendors from around the eatery.
For years the establishment has lamented the presence of vendors there, but the recent ruling has seen scores removed within the last week.
Similarly, GPHC’s repeated request to the M&CC to have those vendors removed have fallen on deaf ears, hence the ultimatum.
See the full letter from Attorney Gunraj to the M&CC:
We are retained by Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, a statutory body established by under the Public Corporation Act, Chapter 19:05, Laws of Guyana.
We are instructed as follows:
1. Our client operates the largest national health facility in Guyana.
2. The said facility is situate in North Cummingsburg, a ward within the limits of your city, and is bounded by Middle Street, East Street, Lamaha Street and Thomas Street, with New Market Street running through.
3. Several of these streets, particularly East Street, New Market Street and Middle Street, have been encumbered by numerous stationary and itinerant vendors who purvey a variety of items from a range of makeshift stalls, immobile vehicles and caravans and
push carts.
4. On several occasions hitherto, our client has brought this to your attention and to date, you have taken no tangible steps to remove the said encumbrances.
5. You are no doubt acutely aware of the absolute need for free and unimpeded access to our client’s institution by vehicular traffic at all times during the day and night. This is to ensure that motor vehicular trafic, including but not limited to emergency vehicles, can traverse these roadways without hinderance.
6. Moreover, the importance of unobstructed pathways to facilitate pedestrians to a hospital cannot be overstated.
7. Our client has, of its own volition, made strident efforts to remedy this situation, to no avail.
8. It is apposite to note that recent decisions of the High Court have reiterated the statutory duty which devolves upon your office to remedy situations such as the one plaguing our client.
In the circumstances, we are instructed to demand, as we hereby do, that you take steps to remove ALL vendors from the vicinity of our client’s premises within 7 (seven) days hereof.
Our client has already been advised of the plethora of legal options available to it and is prepared to institute legal proceedings in the unlikely event of your failure to comply, particularly in light of the strict posture adopted by the Courts under similar circumstances.
All for your information and urgent attention,
SASE R. GUNRAJ
Attorney-at-Law
GUNRAJ & CO.
