PNCR condemns PPP’s vile attack on President’s health

THE People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) on Saturday condemned in the strongest of terms, the recent vile and personal attacks by known PPP activists on the health of the President and Commander in Chief of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, His Excellency David Arthur Granger.

This is not the first time that the PPP has attacked the health of the President of this nation, the PNCR said in a statement. On Friday following the handing over of his party’s nomination papers PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo was asked by a journalist what would be his position if the party’s Presidential Candidate, Irfaan Ali, who is facing 19 criminal charges, is convicted of the fraud. Jagdeo sought to brush aside the issue, but answered “What is APNU plan if Granger gets a relapse and can’t continue for the elections…”

Minutes after known PPP activist, Edward Layne in a most disgusting post on Facebook and obviously, following the lead by the opposition leader, described the President in very disparaging terms. Jagdeo also went on to say, “what if somebody drops dead on the other side.”

The PNCR said “this is coded language by the PPP to sow the seeds of discord! This is a sinister and dangerous plan by the opposition to divide this country, promote ethnic violence and cause mayhem. The PNCR will not allow this to happen and calls on all Guyanese to rebuke the PPP’s attempt to divide this nation.” The PNCR said it stands by its leader and his positive and continuous recovery. “To the credit of President Granger, he is a beacon of light for all those persons who suffer from cancer. Further, if President Granger can survive cancer doing the job of President, then recovery is possible for other cancer patients. President Granger did not give up because of his illness, instead, he fought it and continues to fight it so that he can serve all the people of this great country,” the PNCR stated.

“This is testimony of a man who is an absolute, true public servant. He does not see himself as the first citizen of Guyana, but as the first servant of the people of Guyana. The attack by the PPP on the President’s health is an attack on all Guyanese living with cancer and cancer survivors. It is an attack on their right to equality of treatment and non-discrimination based on illness. Is there no decency left in the PPP?”

The PNCR also called on the PPP to disavow the recent Facebook attacks on the President and recant its own divisive statement made by its leader. “President Granger is committed to providing a good life for all Guyanese, including persons suffering from cancer and other diseases; persons with lost opportunities; persons in underserved communities; persons in the coalition; persons in the opposition; persons on the fence and even persons incarcerated. Long live persons living with and surviving cancer! Long live President David Granger!” the PNCR statement concluded.

Cancer in remission
Back in October last year it was reported that President Granger’s cancer is now in remission, following a scheduled medical evaluation in Cuba. Cancer remission occurs when the signs and symptoms of cancer have lessened or are undetectable. In blood-related cancers such as leukaemia, this means you’ll have a decrease in the number of cancer cells. For solid tumours, that means that the tumour size has decreased. The decrease must last for at least one month before the cancer is considered to be in remission.
In a statement, Guyana’s Ambassador to Cuba Halim Majeed had disclosed that following the evaluation, the medical specialists at Cuba’s Centro de Investigaciones Medico Quirurgicas (CIMEQ) expressed complete satisfaction with the state of the President’s health and have explained that the President’s ailment is now in remission. Majeed said then that in keeping with the strict medical procedures of the Cuban health system, the Head of State is expected to return to Cuba for another scheduled routine medical check in January 2020. Thereafter, the next evaluation will be in June 2020.

President Granger has iterated his gratitude to Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, the Government of Cuba, and the CIMEQ Medical Team which has been responsible for his treatment in Cuba over the past months. President Granger was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma last year after an intensive series of tests by specialist doctors at the CIMEQ. In April 2019, he completed his regime of radiotherapy in Cuba without any complication. That was done after he had successfully completed his regime of chemotherapy which formed part of his medical treatment for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. According to the American Cancer Society, Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (also known as non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, NHL, or sometimes just lymphoma) is a cancer that starts in the white blood cells called lymphocytes, which are part of the body’s immune system.

President Granger, late last year, had expressed his profound gratitude to his Cabinet members, staff and the rest of the nation for their support, prayers and well wishes for his complete recovery, at a welcome home and prayer ceremony that was hosted at State House on November 21, 2018. “Thank you for your expressions of concern over the last three weeks… Throughout that time, I received greetings from you all and from other well-wishers and, more than the greetings, prayers and I am truly grateful,” he said then.