https://kiskadeewatch.com/guyana/kamarang-hospital-gets-operating-theatre-13-new-beds/
Kamarang Hospital gets operating theatre, 13 new beds
The Upper Mazaruni District Hospital in Kamarang Village, Region Seven now has a functioning operating theatre, 13 new beds and laboratory equipment comparable to that at Bartica Regional Hospital.
The Department of Public Information (DPI) said that Regional Health Officer (RHO) Dr Mark Allen outlined the changes during a regional briefing on Monday evening via President Irfaan Ali’s Facebook page.
Dr Allen said the change has been stark over his six years in the region.
“When I first came here, I went to Kamarang Hospital. It basically had a single empty oxygen bottle. We had rapid tests, we had a few broken beds, and we had nothing much to work with,” he said.
The facility now has at least four full oxygen bottles, a new incubator and a delivery room with a new bed, DPI said.
Two surgical outreaches have already been held at the hospital, and the health department plans to increase them.
The first set of surgeries was completed in April 2024.
Source: Kiskadee Watch
‘My family ain’t in anything’: Cromwell denies link to missing Surinamese men
https://kiskadeewatch.com/guyana/my-family-aint-in-anything-cromwell-denies-link-to-missing-surinamese-men/
‘My family ain’t in anything’: Cromwell denies link to missing Surinamese men
Mark `Demon’ Cromwell is insisting that neither he nor his family had any involvement in the disappearance of two Surinamese nationals, while accusing police of attempting to implicate his relatives in the case.
His brother Jimol Murphy was yesterday charged in the case and placed on $1m bail.
In another lengthy Facebook live video, Cromwell repeatedly rejected allegations against his family and challenged investigators to come for him directly if they believe he committed an offence.
“My family ain’t in anything. If you want me, come for me, man,” Cromwell said.
He claimed that police could simply “take up a murder and give a man” or “take up a kidnap and give a man,” suggesting that persons were being wrongly implicated in the investigation.
Cromwell also referred to the case involving his brother, who he said was being charged in connection with the disappearance of the two men.
“Charging my brother for two kiddnapping wuh happen”.
Cromwell further claimed that investigators were relying on or attempting to pressure witnesses against his family.
He referred to a taxi driver and another alleged witness, claiming that police were attempting to use their accounts to implicate his relatives. He also alleged that a man identified during his live as “R. Kelly” would tell his family that Cromwell and his relatives were not involved as investigators allegedly claim.
Those allegations have not been independently established, and police have not publicly confirmed the claims made by Cromwell during the livestream.
Cromwell also accused police of corruption and alleged that investigators have a history of targeting him because of his past.
“The only person I fear is God. Nobody,” he declared, while maintaining that he would continue fighting what he described as a battle for his rights.
His latest outburst follows an earlier recorded statement in which Cromwell said his wife had been taken to the Criminal Investigation Department headquarters after police visited their residence.
According to Cromwell, he had received information before investigators arrived that police were heading to his home, but said his wife nevertheless cooperated and accompanied ranks to CID headquarters.
He also claimed that another associate was detained after taking a vehicle to investigators and that police subsequently indicated that his brother was wanted.
Police have already detained several persons as investigators work to determine what happened to the two Surinamese nationals, who reportedly entered Guyana more than a month ago and have since not been accounted for.
Searches have also been conducted in the Vigilance-Buxton area as investigators continue trying to establish the men’s movements and whereabouts.
Cromwell, meanwhile, continues to publicly deny any involvement by him or his family.
In a separate live video following his earlier statements, Cromwell was seen thanking God and speaking about his faith, urging viewers to “stay prayed up” and to “always pray and try to do good, good over evil.”
He also maintained that while he would not respond to the investigation with violence or “ignorance,” he intended to continue fighting for what he described as his rights.
The police had issued two wanted bulletins for him in relation to the May 7, 2024, kidnapping of former policeman, Delon Alexander, called ‘Portmore’ of Buxton, East Coast Demerara.
On June 5th last year, the US Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control had sanctioned Cromwell and others over alleged cocaine transshipping.
Discussion
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Vigilance man gets $1m bail after lawyers challenge police on abduction evidence
https://kiskadeewatch.com/guyana/vigilance-man-gets-1m-bail-after-lawyers-challenge-police-on-abduction-evidence/
Vigilance man gets $1m bail after lawyers challenge police on abduction evidence
A man was yesterday granted $1 million bail after the defence challenged the legality of his detention and argued that police have yet to produce evidence establishing that two Surinamese men were abducted.
Jimol Murphy appeared virtually before Magistrate Shareefa Parks at the Fort Wellington Magistrate’s Court, where he was charged under the Kidnapping Act in connection with the alleged abduction of two Surinamese nationals at Rosignol, West Bank Berbice, on August 29, 2026.
Murphy was represented by attorneys-at-law Siand Dhurjon, Mark Waldron and Meshonn Persaud.
The prosecution strongly objected to bail.
However, the defence challenged both the substance of the allegation and the circumstances surrounding Murphy’s detention.
Dhurjon argued that the evidence presented to the court did not disclose an offence under the law and maintained that police had produced no evidence to disprove Murphy’s alibi that he was in Georgetown and Houston at the material time.
The defence further submitted that there was, at present, no evidence demonstrating that anything untoward had happened to the two men.
According to the defence, the available information instead showed the two adult men peaceably and consensually entering a vehicle on the day in question.
Dhurjon also suggested that the men could have subsequently travelled to Brazil or Venezuela, noting that persons transiting Guyana sometimes leave through unofficial routes.
A further issue raised in court concerned the statutory 72-hour period for detention.
The defence argued that the 72-hour holding period had already expired in relation to Murphy before the matter came before the court. The same issue was also raised in relation to the wife of Mark Cromwell, who is also connected to the investigation, with the defence contending that her detention had similarly extended beyond the permitted 72-hour period.
After hearing the submissions, Magistrate Parks granted Murphy bail in the sum of $1 million.
As part of his bail conditions, Murphy is required to lodge his passport and report to the Major Crimes Unit every Friday.
The arrest of Murphy triggered in rest on the East Coast Demerara for several days.
The case concerns the disappearance of Surinamese men Siegiëllo Lorenzo Van Dalen, 27, and Derryl Danillo Bont, 28.
Van Dalen and Bont have been missing since late August. In a September 9 notice, Surinamese police said they left their homes on August 28 in a white Toyota Vitz and travelled to Nickerie. The following day, they left the vehicle at Clara Sluis and crossed to Guyana by boat between 11 am and 1 pm, subsequently entering a taxi believed to have been a black station wagon.
An initial September 2 report by Waterkant had quoted Bont’s family as saying they last heard from him on Saturday morning, after which his telephone was switched off. They believed two friends who had been with him were also unreachable.
Discussion
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Barbados added as KFC Goodwill Schools Football tournament returns for seventh edition
https://kiskadeewatch.com/sports/football/barbados-added-as-kfc-goodwill-schools-football-tournament-returns-for-seventh-edition/
Barbados added as KFC Goodwill Schools Football tournament returns for seventh edition
The Petra Organisation’s KFC International Goodwill Under-18 Schools Football tournament will return in December with an eight-team field, as Barbados joins the regional competition for its seventh edition.
Scheduled for December 13-20, the tournament will again bring together leading school teams from Guyana and across the region, with matches set for the Ministry of Education Ground and Queen’s College Ground in Georgetown. Petra had identified the December 13-20 window earlier this year as part of its 2026 football calendar.
The participating teams will be divided into two groups of four, with each school playing the other three teams in its group once before the competition moves into the knockout phase.
Defending champions Chase’s Academic Foundation will lead Guyana’s challenge. The other local berths will be filled by a Region Nine school and a qualifying team from the Republic Bank Under-18 School Football League.
Trinidad and Tobago will be represented by Naparima College, while Excelsior High School will carry Jamaica’s challenge. Brazil’s representative will be Escola Estadual Indígena Koko Isabel Macuxi, an Indigenous school from the Enseada community in Uiramutã, Roraima. The school has an established football programme and won its regional phase of the 2025 Roraima School Games. Prefeitura Municipal de Uiramutã
Barbados’ representative is still to be decided, with the winner of the Barbados Secondary Schools’ Football League set to earn the trip to Guyana. The BSSFL operates established secondary-school competitions on the island.
Suriname’s place will similarly go to the winner of its school football competition.
Representatives of Naparima College, Excelsior High School, Barbados, Brazil and Suriname were part of the launch of the 2026 tournament, which was held at the Cara Lodge Hotel.
Petra Organisation Co-Director Troy Mendonca said the tournament has developed considerably from its inaugural staging in 2018, when just four teams competed. That first edition featured three Guyanese schools and Trinidad and Tobago’s Shiva Boys Hindu College in a league format.
Mendonca said the growth of the competition reflected Petra’s aim of giving young players an international platform while allowing them to represent their schools and countries.
He noted that players are given an opportunity on the field to express their talent while developing discipline and teamwork. According to Mendonca, the competition has also served as a springboard for young footballers, with several former participants later progressing to represent Guyana at the national level.
Special thanks were extended to title sponsor KFC Guyana for its continued confidence and investment in the programme. Mendonca also acknowledged the support of the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and Ministry of Education, which he said demonstrated the shared interest in youth development through sport.
The international tournament has expanded steadily since its four-team beginning and has become one of Petra’s major annual programmes. The 2025 edition also featured eight teams and ended with Chase’s Academic Foundation successfully defending their title by defeating Trinidad and Tobago’s St Benedict’s College 5-4 on penalties following a scoreless final. The victory made Chase the first school to retain the KFC Goodwill crown.
Away from the football field, Petra will again place emphasis on cultural exchange.
The tournament’s Culture Night is scheduled for December 14 and will allow participating schools to showcase their respective countries through traditional songs, dances and clothing. This year, the programme will be expanded to include food from the different participating countries.
The tournament will officially get underway with a march past on December 13.
Mendonca described the KFC Goodwill competition as one of Petra’s marquee programmes and said the organisation intends to deliver the 2026 edition at a high standard, with the aim of making the experience memorable for the players, officials, supporters and fans.
Discussion
Source: Kiskadee Watch
Guyana, France renew air services agreement
https://kiskadeewatch.com/guyana/guyana-france-renew-air-services-agreement/
Guyana, France renew air services agreement
Guyana and France have signed a renewed air services agreement, updating an arrangement first established in 1976 and providing a framework for expanded aviation links between the two countries.
According to a release dated September 30, Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation Deodat Indar and French Ambassador to Guyana Olivier Plancon signed the agreement.
There are currently no direct flights between Guyana and France. The release said the renewed agreement would create opportunities for airlines to enter new markets and expand services, although it did not announce any proposed routes or commencement dates.
Technical negotiations began at the International Civil Aviation Negotiation conference in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, in 2025. The agreement was finalised in July 2026.
Its provisions cover operating rights, airline designation and authorisation, the application of laws and regulations, commercial opportunities, cooperative marketing arrangements, tariffs, aviation safety and security, user charges and environmental considerations.
Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), retired Lieutenant Colonel Egbert Field, also signed an accompanying memorandum of understanding with France’s Director for Air Services, Olivier Boulnois.
The release said the memorandum would allow airlines to benefit immediately from the provisions of the renewed agreement.
Officials attending the signing included France’s Deputy Director at the Directorate General for Civil Aviation, Jean-Yves Pieri; bilateral air services agreements expert Louis Montassier; and Air France-KLM Traffic Rights Manager Loic Lespagnol.
Guyana was also represented by Parliamentary Secretary Thandi McAllister, GCAA Deputy Director General Dr Saheed Sulaman and Director General at the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation Alfonso De Armas.
Guyana and France established diplomatic relations on June 22, 1967.
Discussion
Source: Kiskadee Watch
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