As a youth I always engaged teachers and friends about the most important workers, vocations or professions. Until I realized that it was a friendly but futile debate, because every type of work or worker is important to our survival and development. In those days, however, I rated teachers, health workers and farmers among my top 5 workers. Teachers teach us most of what we know, but good health is vital to learning, growing existing – and we all need food, don’t we? (What’s your take, for what it’s worth?)
Salute our nurses, doctors, all health care givers and workers. Whether local, Cuban, British or American, we must hope that their training provides them and us – with the best skills and abilities possible. Oh but we have our doubts, don’t we? Especially if our wives, mothers, babies or grandparents die(d) at public health institutions under questionable circumstances.
Figures, money – and reality
Yes, when one spends hours at the emergency rooms of our public hospitals; when, invariably, the pharmacy does not have the drugs prescribed and when doctors don’t show up, or the lone medic is far away from his post, all the stats and descriptions of massive funding will not stop one from cursing the public health services.
But on the other side of the coin we must pause to consider the enormous cost of training, acquiring foreign-produced pharmaceuticals, paying doctors and maintaining hospitals. When you source these “free” services you understand where your tax dollars really go. The problem I concede, is the need for value for those tax dollars. However, to me, frankly speaking, health services such as, ours are over-burdened by citizens’ indiscipline, faulty lifestyles and others apparent “love” to run to “de hospital”. Care and better living can prevent thousands from falling ill with specific ailments and diseases, but too many take the free services for granted.
Dr Leslie Ramsammy has proven himself to be one of this administration’s more able ministers.
That’s my view! Let his detractors speculate about the boards he sits on, his alleged ownership of laboratories and his alleged role in acquiring a cellular telephone interceptor from the Florida Spy shop I visited; the man has consistently forged ahead in managing the national health Service with all its limitations of funding and personnel. Just ask the International Health Services Community! Pity that he, his ministerial colleagues and party comrades – like opposition boss RHO Corbin – dash overseas for the more vital treatment when they themselves are afflicted.
That apart, Ramsammy is public, on an almost daily basis, with his “encouraging” facts and figures: The arrival of vaccines, the relative success in the government’s HIV/AIDS battles, the malaria, diabetes, tuberculosis and cancer successes in terms of both programmes and treatment – and so on.
Then there are the funding figures! The 2010 National Budget is glowing! $153.8M to be spent from the Local Government Ministry’s allocations to improve health facilities in the regions. (This is where de regions’ bosses must insist on being integral to this spending; and scrutineers expertly oversee the millions to be spent.) The National Budget is replete with Hope! All told? $13.3 Billion for the health sector this year – from $2.7 billion for drugs and other medical supplies to $300 million on antenatal and other child health programmes to $1.4 billion for rehab and maintenance of health facilities country-wide to $23 million for an elevator at the Georgetown Hospital.
You just can’t argue with the figures. It’s the reality that presents the problems.
The realities…
Mind you, there are reasons for the realities! The drugs are just not there at West Demerara Region Hospital. The power and water are not present in the rural health clinics. The lone medic can’t explain successfully to the ailing mother as there is no countrywide, government-owned medivac aircraft. And from the Diamond Diagnostic to Fort Wellington to Mahaica all seem to qualify for referral to Georgetown!
This is what confronts the poor man who can’t access the rough private medical facilities. As I’ve stated, prevention is better than cure in third world societies. Try not to need the hospital, clinic or doctor; except for a check-up. President Forbes Burnham died in hospital here, though he did his dental work both here and in England. Desmond Hoyte died here and Cheddi Jagan was whisked away, from Georgetown to Panama and Maryland USA. The wealthy seek the best abroad.
Who can blame them? But this I’ve concluded: if we can keep even those moonlighting doctors at home and at our local public medical institutions, we would still have one of the better public health systems in these parts.
Yes, respect homosexuals’ rights
I’m caught up with the occasional but engrossing debate about the rights of gay, lesbian, transgender and related persons and groups. One Robin Williams loves to take on SASOD and defenders of those who seem to propagate and promote the rights – and demands – of those amongst us who prefer same-gender lifestyles.
To me, in this “enlightened (?)” age, the issue should not even be one. All citizens have a right to their preferences if those preferences do not distress others of a different ilk. How extant laws are observed by the same-gender community is another matter. I am persuaded by Alissa Trotz’s treatment of the issue, even as she utilizes Bishop Tutu’s appeal on behalf of the world’s gays and lesbians.
But hey! I use this opportunity, to do two things again, (1) to recognize that Guyana’s gay community – in closet or in public – boosts members in the local media, army, politics, world of arts, church etc. and (2) to ask SASOD to assist me here: How do gay couples explain their lifestyle to young innocent children?
Ponder…
*1) What!? The Mexican drug cartels are working their way here, through Queens, New York? I don’t believe that!
*2) Lovely, insightful, provocative editorial in the Stabroek of March 15 last – how do we trace the success of those single parent programmes, youth vocational courses and other safety-nets?
*3) How should we welcome the Brazilians? Are we ready really? Did Linden have enough accommodation for 50 Brazilians to overnight?
*4) Great job GT&T! Taking village-yard Bumper/Soft Ball from across Guyana to make the cultural traditional into high-level competition. Most organised sport started thus. I hope GT&T sells more telephones and that other groups join our Indo-friends hereafter.
‘Til Next Week!
(Comments? allanafenty@yahoo.com.)
