GEORGETOWN, Guyana -- The government of Guyana has decided to make its hospitals and orphanages available to take Haitian children who are left without a family and injured from the January 12 earthquake, which devastated the impoverished Caribbean island's capital Port-au-Prince and neighbouring towns.

President Bharrat Jagdeo told a media conference here on Tuesday that he will be supportive of any move to get children injured and homeless out of the country into a safer place in the short term. "We have heard that there may be a move to send kids to countries where they can receive care and we are very interested in that sort of thing. Maybe, if the region decides that that is a good approach and the Haitian people also determine that that is in their best interest, because, ultimately, their government would have to make that determination, our homes and hospitals would be open to those children," he said.

On the issue of migration by Haitians, Jagdeo announced that those living in Guyana legally or illegally can bring their family to live with them, but in the long term he noted, Guyana will go with what the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) decides, "So we will work along with CARICOM to establish a framework for this." "I have seen The Bahamas, they have stopped their deportation of Haitians and, in Jamaica, they have announced that the Haitians who may go there will be placed separately and receive all attention and, later, be repatriated to Haiti. So there is yet no clarity about what a common framework for CARICOM will be but we are prepared to do our part," he stated.

He said: "Ultimately, in the long run, we can't empty the country of all Haitians. We have to support the rebuilding of Haiti and ensure that all of the people there have a productive life. But, as I said before, I am prepared to work with CARICOM to establish a framework that will bring, at least in the short term, temporary relief to those people who may have needs outside of Haiti, including children."

Regarding the CARCIOM move to lend support to Haiti in the area of health, Jagdeo said Guyana will work with the regional grouping in this regard to coordinate the response.

"We are yet awaiting, from CARICOM, the costing of this initiative but we will meet this Friday, in caucus in Suriname, that is the CARICOM Heads of Government and we hope, by that time, there will be greater clarity on costing as to how we will deliver on this health initiative which seems to be the area that CARICOM wants us to focus on," he said.