“You need to do some tests”
Again this week I avoid – and leave to the many others – those current “national issues of (sordid) significance”. You know: smuggled gold, Parliamentary Impasse, Cocaine Trafficking, PPP/APNU, Contractual Corruption, fires and fatal accidents, maternal deaths, QC Fleas – the sordid list.
And since it takes some effort to find and accentuate the positives (like Dave M.), I have decided to share an excerpt of one of my own successful Christmas short-stories with you. Written in 1978/9 – Thirty four years ago – it is based on solid fact.
After escalating our political independence (1966) to Republicanism (1970), President Forbes Burnham, quite justifiably, set about to slowly but surely transform our colonial psyche into a more nationalistic, Guyanese-oriented outlook and mindset.
He thus inspired- sometimes forced- the production of local foods to replace certain imported substitutes. Local, “indigenous” institutions and even observances were created, established, celebrated. Guyanese literature was commissioned for Primary Schools (I was involved). And President Forbes even advised how the citizens of the new Republic should dress!
The then older, fading generation found the re-orientation somewhat challenging. Decades of psychological/mental colonialism was securely entrenched. Younger Guyanese soon coped with Mr. Burnham’s strategies to “impose” a new exciting Republican Identity. But then he tackled a most sensitive, national religious-based tradition! Forbes proposed that Guyana should miniaturise the weeks- long celebration of Christmas! (That was the word: “miniaturise”.)
The idea was to de-emphasise the length and non-essentials of the Yuletide Season. Burnham proposed to emphasise the new Republican Mashramani festival instead. Good Lord! How Forbes miscalculated! There was a national outcry, even from non-Christians, in those mid-seventies when his proposal was floated. “Colonial” or not, Guyanese viewed Christmas as a time of the celebration of hope and renewal. The poorest of neighbourhoods, every school, every workplace would be caught up in harmonious- however temporary – camaraderie. However foreign and “snowy” the European images were. We would Guyanise Christmas but not make it smaller or ban it as if we were extreme communists!
Forbes Burnham got the message and for once, retreated strategically, And I, A.A. Fenty, wrote a short story…
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“Don’t Ban Christmas!”
That was the title of the story I produced for radio and for live audiences, primarily.
It was a fictionalized, uproarious version of the Forbes Burnham idea. The main protagonist was a village leader tyrant named Lieburd. Unlike Forbes, he proceeded to actually “ban Christmas” in his village. To the astonishment, then later defiance, of his proud peaceful, innocent villagers whom he wanted to make “subjects”.
Here is the decree issued by the tyrant/dictator/village leader at the end of November. “In pursuance of the national objective of national and cultural purification, De season and celebration of this Christian, Pagan, Heathen festival name Christmas, is now hereby banned from dis village.
The following violations and their penalties are hereby published for immediate obedience and observance:
Anyone found painting, putting up decoration or otherwise cleaning up their homes will be fined $5000.
Anyone found with more than a half-pint of wine, beer, rum, whiskey, ginger beer, brandy or any other type of strong drink in December, will be fined $10,000.
Anyone found buying any gift in Christmas paper, going to or representing Father Christmas, Santa Claus or Jolly Old St Nick, shall be fined $10,000.
Persons who sing or play Christmas Carols and related songs will be fined $5,000, for each song or tune.
During December there must be no masquerade, steel band or Nativity story. Fine: $15,000.
No firm, store, company or village agency must encourage holiday shopping, time off or staff party. Licences will be suspended for months!
There were more mechanisms to outlaw all elements of the season in the village. No Christmas or Boxing Day holiday. And prolonged power-outages village-wide.
The community rallied and rebelled however. Rastafarians and masqueraders, the village elders and the children did save and perpetuate Christmas. I’ll relate what happened next time.
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“You’ll need to do some tests”
A very recent letter to the press attracted my full attention. A John Willems recounted the travails of his female employee who had to be rushed to a hospital’s out-patient department. It was one of Georgetown’s high-priced private hospitals, but Willems described his employee as a “low-income patient”. She was vomiting and using the toilet frequently.
The poor lady was instructed to take numerous tests for exorbitant fees. Mr Willems rushed to her aid and discovered a sophisticated medical scam of sorts. He wondered about medical ethics.
Suffice for me to relate that in recent months I’ve heard similar tales from many acquaintances and colleagues. When your Doc says: “you’ll need to have some tests”, who are poor, sick you to object? The problem lies in the unfortunate fact that there appears to be a few practitioners who are out to supplement their hospitals’ or some laboratories’ income by ordering unnecessary tests.
I trust that they are not too many like that, I knew not of such “tests” in the old days. Today’s medical technologies do probably quickly assist doctors to identify problems and save misery and lives. But too many anxious, defenceless, vulnerable patients can be exploited.
Please extend your professional compassion Doc.
’Til next week!