Today, after he left the Sunup show, the press also challenged the Prime Minister on the shortage of key medical supplies which has been most pronounced under his administration.
Here's how he went on the defensive:
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"When he saw that the medicines were taking long to come and people are telling us, while you took 6 months to be able to approve my bid and even after you approve my bid it takes many months to be able to actually start the process in that instance, because there has been a worldwide shortage in supplies. They are saying by the time I go to my supplies the price had already gone up. So those are the things. We have to be able to make it more compact and more quicker to be able to address that matter and it's something that has been for the past 15 years and as I said for 13 years I never heard them giving an ultimatum to the previous government and now in 2 years they want to give us an ultimatum, I dont think they are being fair."
Reporter
"They've said this is the worst it's been though."
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I don't think so. Well obviously, you could say it could be the worst, because we have disruptions in the supply worldwide."
Reporter
"But you were elected to deal with it."
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"And that's what we are doing; we're dealing with it, but we had so many other things to deal with at the same time. It was impossible. Yes, we have portfolios, but they had to be able to deal with the medical health system that was in total chaos under the previous minister."
Reporter
"What about the request for benefits that they say they hadn't had and the pandemic has brought to the fore that these needs to be put in place."
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Obviously it's something that we have to take a look at and we are going to sit down and talk with them and what we can afford we will do, but if we can't afford it, we can't afford it."
