When freedom of expression is challenged, we all are at risk. It is our right to use our voices without fear of persecution or prosecution. Of course, we must also be responsible so that our speech does not instigate harm rather than good. We can all be agents of change by sounding our voices against injustices. Never must we allow governments, corporations or others with power and influence to silence us. The same rules should apply in our relationships with families, friends and associates for many of us can attest to what silence can do. When we mute our voices because of fear, nod our heads in agreement even when we oppose, and let the palpitations of our hearts affect our physical health, peace of mind and spirituality, we are likely to experience anguish.
In Guyana, there were periods when people were afraid to speak. And there were those who lost their lives or were imprisoned because they spoke against injustice. Today, we are witnessing a situation where the right of the people to express themselves is being challenged.
Over the last weeks, many people have shared experiences they had at a popular private hospital. This was done mainly via social media, but I also saw at least one letter in the newspapers. For years, there have been allegations about medical malpractice at the establishment.
Despite that, however, I have also witnessed people share their success stories coming out of the hospital. For example, many couples who were having issues with fertility accessed the services of the hospital such as In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and were able to conceive and successfully bear children. In 2014, it was reported that the first baby conceived in Guyana via IVF was born at the hospital. I would regularly visit the hospital’s social media page and scroll through the many pictures of the patients who would have given birth, with their babies and family members. Other people have had successful surgeries they thought could not be performed in Guyana and have been treated for many diseases.
At any hospital, the welfare of the people should be the priority and they should have a plethora of success stories. However, there is no medical institution in Guyana where all the reviews would be positive. Often, the services can be improved, but there are also people who will find the smallest of faults to emphasise even when the services are the best. But the many allegations emerging about the private hospital in question, reveals that something is terribly wrong. There are accusations about negative reviews being deleted from their social media pages in an attempt to silence the voices of those who allegedly had unpleasant experiences and to ignore the accusations of patients, their families and some staff. It would be difficult to conclude that all the accusers are being untruthful and that it is some great conspiracy to slander the hospital.
The stories that have come to light alleges misdiagnosing, misleading and mistreating patients and fleecing them; there were also claims about unlawful dismissal of staff who could not afford the fees at the hospital when they needed medical intervention and even foreign doctors accused the institution of not paying them what was promised. It was said that there are untrained staffers. There are also accusations of expired drugs being given to patients and about unsanitary conditions.
Almost all the allegations I read concerning pregnant women suggested that they were told at some point during their pregnancies that their blood pressures or sugar levels were elevated and they would need to give birth via cesarean. Of course, it costs much more to give birth via that method than naturally. It reminded me of a friend who was visiting the hospital when she was pregnant; she said the doctor began mentioning that she might need a cesarean. She switched hospitals and gave birth naturally.
Regardless of the the pleasant and lifesaving experiences that many would have had at the hospital, if the accounts are true, reveal that there are many unethical practices and a disregard for the wellbeing and safety of patients, and it needs to be highlighted and addressed.
Guyanese are too often expected to be content with mediocre services or being mistreated and disrespected even when they are paying substantial amounts of money for services. We are often expected to place a muzzle over our mouths, to not disturb the status quo. The powerful in our society, clothed in their haughtiness, often expect the populace to not challenge them. People can lose their lives because of medical malpractice. I am sure many have, and their relatives are expected to mourn quietly without justice or reward.
In the recent allegations against the private institution, a social media personality and women’s rights activist shared the stories via her Facebook page. The stories are over thirty in number. The private hospital has since decided to sue the activist and pursued an injunction to prevent her from further posting the alleged accounts, but the judge denied the injunction. The hospital has said that the stories have cost it. I understand that the hospital is a business, but is there any effort, has there ever been any effort by the hospital to engage those who have spoken out over years, to compensate those who may have suffered or to simply exercise some humility by apologising and admitting if they are indeed guilty of wrongdoing? Can they prove that the allegations are false?
Are we as a society going to be bullied or intimidated to remain quiet and allow people to be taken advantage of and their lives put at risk? As aforementioned, I am quite sure that there is no conspiracy to slander what has been deemed as one of the best medical institutions in the country. People will not stop accessing the services of the hospital I am quite sure. The onus is on the hospital to admit if they are guilty and to make genuine efforts to improve their services. But I do not expect that this will be done given some of the actions the hospital has taken. Any institution that is accused of such misconduct, if they were truly invested in the interest and wellbeing of the people, would find ways to correct their wrongs and not seek to silence their voices.
