Dear Editor,
The alleged eleven hours wait to collect the pension grant (SN Dec,7), tells of a chaotic roll out of this year’s cash grants distribution exercise, amid similar tales of woe and bewilderment at venues, with NCC a notable feature. My location was the ABC on Wednesday, December 6 and while my wait was not so lengthy, as the wait above, it was an example of officials who came to a public event, involving the aged, elderly, disabled and infirmed, without a plan of action to execute for the smooth operation of the exercise. It was a most haphazard, ad hoc and confusing display by people tasked to attend to these categories of citizens.
For starters, while a tent was erected no chairs or seating accommodation was available for the scores of early arrivals, many with different ailments and medical conditions. Some officials came shortly after eight but chose to remain in the comfort of their air conditioned vehicles. However to the credit of one official, who on arrival, came and spoke to the gathering as she tried to calm persons and put some order to a disorder scene.
Next came the issuing of numbers amid the arrival and setting out of chairs under the tent. The issuing of numbers was done, it seems, not thought out before, but rather on the spot. One would have thought if numbers were to be issued, as part of the modus operandi, the numbers would have been prepared in advance, instead of what obtained, where numbers were hurriedly written on a piece of paper and torn off and given to persons. How unprofessional!
The exercise got underway with the calling of numbers and collecting of pension books in batches. The bedlam of noise, in the absence of a public address system made it difficult to hear.
The process of verifying was long and time consuming and this made the wait tedious and frustrating. Isn’t it time computers be used to assist this process? A simple exercise turned into a ‘daymare’ for many, I understand persons left that location on Wednesday at twilight. From observations better could and should have been done by those engaged in managing and executing the event. It is as though they came to the venue without a plan or structure how the process was to unfold. Officials need to exercise patience, flexibility in instances and compassion given the group of persons they were dealing with. It was disappointing to see a gentleman with an obvious heart condition being turned away all because he came late. Or a bent, old woman turned away because she too was late.
The schedules put out were devoid of pertinent information. Persons assigned to these exercises must know to handle large crowds with varying background and personalities. They must be able to read situations on the ground and react accordingly. It’s called thinking on your feet. Nothing is cast in stone. All in all, Wednesday’s activity at this location could have been better planned aiding better execution thus avoiding the anger, frustration and dissatisfaction of senior citizens. This is not too much to ask. Our elderly and disabled deserve no less.
Sincerely,
Shamshun Mohamed
