UNC MP Dr Rai Ragbir: Vaccinate to emancipate

UNC Cumuto/Manzanilla MP Dr Rai Ragbir is urging citizens to be vaccinated against covid19. Ragbir made this call in an Emancipation Day message to the nation. He also told Newsday that the "vaccinate to emancipate" theme of his message was in his personal view as a medical doctor.

Ragbir said this view is also in line with the UNC's stance on covid19 vaccination. "Both Opposition and Government are pro-vaccination."

In his message, Ragbir described covid19 as "another slave master of a different kind."

"This Emancipation Day alerts us to the reality that confronts us through this global pandemic," he said. "Today's challenge, comes not from the whip of the slave master, but from an enemy that cannot be seen by the human eye – a virus."

Ragbir was confident that "the human spirit will endure.” He expressed confidence in his fellow health care professionals and frontline workers, "who from the very beginning of this global pandemic has stood resolutely at their work station, caring for those affected, and putting country first, at tremendous personal sacrifice."

On May 14, former Caroni East MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh appealed to citizens to take any World Health Organization (WHO) approved covid19 vaccine that is offered to them. Gopeesingh tested covid19 positive last August. Former Tabaquite MP Dr Surujrattan Rambachan, who also tested covid19 positive last year, made the same appeal.

To date, UNC MPs Dr Roodal Moonilal, Rodney Charles, Michelle Benjamin, Rushton Paray, Anita Haynes, Dr Lackram Bodoe, Dinesh Rambally, Rudranath Indarsingh and Ragbir have each received at least one dose of a covid19 vaccine.