Almost three years ago, then Guyana Goldfields (now Zijin Mining) employee Cleveland Jacobs suffered a fall at his place of employment after the step of a truck broke and to date, he remains in an incapacitated state without any form of compensation from the company.
He needs to undergo another surgery to fix complications caused by the injury, but is not in a financial position to offset the expenses.
Speaking with this publication on Thursday, Jacobs recalled that on May 22, 2018, he was working at the warehouse and as he disembarked the truck, the step broke, causing him to fall backwards. Apart from receiving injuries to the head, one of his legs was caught in the step – resulting in a fractured patella (knee cap).
He was admitted at the Medical Arts Centre to undergo surgery and was discharged. Along with physiotherapy, the man said he underwent a second surgery in November 2018 to remove enforcement wires in the knee.
He returned to work three months later in February 2019, but was subsequently given a redundancy letter in May of the same year.
Now, Jacobs needs to undergo another operation but he was still to receive financial compensation from Guyana Goldfields.
“I do not have anything against the company. I need help and there is no animosity towards the company for what had happened to me. No actual financial compensation was given. The company reached out to me and that was in the collective agreement that once a worker gets injured on the job, the company takes care of the expenses. But the actual compensation package was never given,” he said
He is asking for such to be done, since his condition is deteriorating and he cannot afford to stand the cost for the procedure. He resides in New Amsterdam, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), and transportation to get medical attention in Georgetown compounds the expenses.
“At this point in time, I think I should be compensated for my injury, because I’m in a lot of pain and financially, I’m not doing so well. There is a lot of pain. I don’t even venture out on the road, because the knee is wobbling and I don’t want a further injury.”
He added, “It could cost as much as $20,000 per day to come see a doctor. I’m not in that position, but I know that the foot will require a third surgery based on what is taking place at the moment.”
INews reached out to the company for a comment on the matter, but its efforts proved futile.
