Dear Editor,
It was not without some ambivalence that we read in Stabroek, August 25, another story on suicide in Guyana ‒ ‘NGOs craft suicide action plan’. It was refreshing to know that the story is still alive and well and would have attracted such interest. What was startling, however, is the absence of the targeted communities that are seen to be at the epicentre of the epidemic.
It may very well be, on the other hand, that the patient is already comotose and on its way out ‒ no need to worry. And in any case the experts are here to tell us what we need to do in case of another break-out.
There is much in the story that I would like to comment on, including the many requests some of us made to obtain the “studies” that were conducted to show that “Guyana is …” including from PAHO, WHO, Guyana’s Ministry of Health, and about their absence in public institutions, These should be readily available for perusal and assessment from those that are supposed to be the gatekeepers of the nation’s ‘health.’
On this occasion I cannot seem to get past the breathtaking arrogance and paternalism reflected in the writing of this particular account in the presence of and with the blessings of two ministers of the government.
Yours faithfully,
Rishee Thakur
