Vendors outside GPHC must be removed by end of May

The City Council has been ordered to remove all of the vendors outside of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) by May 31, 2026.

In a High Court ruling, the City Council was told to remove all vendors and any encumbrances outside the perimeter of the hospital on: Lamaha Street between Thomas and East Street; East Street between Lamaha Street and New Market Street; New Market Street between Thomas Street and East Street; and Middle Street between Thomas Street and East Street.

In a Fixed Date Application, GPHC, represented by lawyers Sase Gunraj and Jayaramm Sanasie, had sought court orders compelling the Town Clerk and City authorities to remove food vendors, carts, stalls, and other obstructions from key streets surrounding the hospital.

The hospital, Guyana’s largest public health facility, said the continued presence of vendors is severely affecting operations, particularly emergency access and the movement of patients and staff.

According to court documents, the encumbrances have “impeded ingress to and egress from the Applicant’s facilities,” including access for emergency vehicles, while vendors also leave behind garbage and debris along the pavements.

The hospital detailed a series of efforts over the past year to have vendors removed, including multiple letters sent to City Hall in April, May, and again in January this year, requesting urgent action. Despite assurances from the Mayor and City Council in 2024 that the matter would be addressed, the hospital had said that nothing meaningful was done.