Hope from a hospital

Hope from a hospital
Frankly Speaking...
By A.A Fenty
Stabroek News
June 13, 2003

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Once again, once more, I resist the urge to return to the all-consuming issues of crime, cocaine, banditry, murder and mayhem, as my lead item today. Why? Others are handling them, continuously and consistently. And after reading Samantha Alleyne’s piece, this Monday, on the hope being offered by one unit of our local hospital corporation, I felt constrained to accentuate what I perceive to be a real positive. Amongst our society’s debilitating and seemingly overwhelming negatives.

I refer to Alleyne’s story on the GUM - Genito-Urinary Medicine Clinic’s treatment of HIV/AIDS patients here in Guyana. On pages 10 and 11 of this Monday’s Stabroek News she made Dr. Michael Ali to be a local hero of medicine and hope to me. I know the young doctor would naturally regard his work with the afflicted as routine - all in a day’s work for which he has been trained after taking that famous oath. But for me, you see, although I keep in touch with the deadly existence of this epidemic wreaking havoc locally, making inroads into the lifespan of the youth, the economy, the nation and the treatment and management of its stages, I did not realise that our actual treatment was so advanced and successful and free! So much negatives are reported from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation that I have to pay tribute to the architects of this success story.

But allow me my own background and perspective, relevant to ignorance and attitudes to disease and sickness.

During my childhood amongst the genuine, but uninformed working class of Georgetown, I grappled to understand the scorn, the ignorance, the superstition, the fear of certain diseases and illnesses. My grandmother - and her legions of old-lady friends, even male nurses, teachers, and reasonably-”educated” folks of the fifties - at various times of their discoveries and conversations, would either lament with, or actually rebuke, before sympathising with victims of particular diseases.

May earliest realisation of adult mis-interpretation, (though I couldn’t understand it at the time) began with two diseases: leprosy and tuberculosis. Gosh. Adult attitudes were transmitted to us, the silly innocent school boys and girls. Leprosy was “cocobeh”, the victims of which were to be shunned and not ever touched. Those unfortunates were locked away in isolation at Mahaica. Dr. Rose or no Dr. Rose. Lepers with “cocobeh” apparently had brought damnation upon themselves. Perhaps like (all) victims of AIDS today. Tuberculosis (TB) was another taboo illness to the folks of yesteryear. Victims had the dreaded “cough” as it was called. They too were “quarantined” in the “best sanatorium” on the West Coast of Demerara. You only took oranges for them if you were a relative - or really compassionate. They too were to be shunned for their evil “catching” disease.

As I grew into teenage years - the sixties - the medical mystique, fear, rumour and gossip surrounded the dreaded cancer. All cancers were merely called “cancer.” She or he, had “de big one.” Hushed tones and some shock, awe and sympathy amongst our old folks as medical science looked for cures. Almost “normal” then amongst these “big ones”, were the usual sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) of those days. Of course, no such sophisticated descriptions existed then. My senior male friends either had leak, syphilis or, God forbid, gonorrhea. Then came herpes and now HIV/AIDS - with SARS thrown in.

In my twenties, I finally realised a few sources of my grandmother’s and ordinary, humble Guyanese ignorance. Some of the fear and superstition actually emanated from the Christians’ Holy Bible. Some diseases, epidemics, plagues, were the scourge of Divine punishment for sins. No less a being than God Almighty himself punished those who contracted leprosy in biblical times. Hence, our devout old folks regarded leprosy and lepers as symbols of God’s wrath. Not unlike attitudes to AIDS these days. Then there was superstition, witchcraft (obeah) combined with the lack of advances with regard to the cause and cure of those diseases. Oh, but how enlightened we’ve become today (?)

Fight and hope vs. AIDS...

I doubt whether there are many who are not aware of the frightening, staggering statistics regarding HIV/AIDS in this country alone. As elsewhere, especially in the poorer parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America, this disease is ravaging our young, threatening our workforce and our future. Enough said, enough written.

My interest and research in the past revealed our first faltering approaches to the indifference, ignorance and some recklessness. Then realisation, stimulated by our AIDS Secretariat (NAPS), the GUM clinic, the Health Minister himself and, pleasingly, numerous NGOs such as Artistes In Direct Support, Lifeline Counselling, the GRPA and others in Berbice and Linden especially, has now hit home. Peer educators, the facilitators/producers of that GTV Sunday programme (YTV) are doing wonderfully to raise the consciousness and effect education and prevention. I must applaud too, the consistent contributions from overseas donors and international institutions.

But what impressed me most of all, in the Samantha Alleyne piece, was the fact that we, under-developed and blighted as we seem to be, are producing, through the private pharmaceutical manufacturer GPC - our own anti-retroviral drugs, which arrest the disease in the most stricken. Imagine. Guyana has joined such countries as Brazil and India in making available a crucial treatment to those in travail. Perhaps it’s a dubious achievement, considering the negative circumstances, but we’re showing the region what we can do.

So don’t be annoyed with me when I suggest that from time to time, experts from such places as India, Brazil, the USA and Britain should visit to assist us to sustain the best quality and standard of that vital medication. Meanwhile, let’s all join the battle against this modern-day plague. Support individuals and agencies already in the war. And be compassionate towards those who have already fallen victim. Don’t be as suspicious, or uninformed, or unkind, as some old folks of my childhood.

Enrico’s viewscasts

I am a fan of Enrico Woolford’s evening “productions” styled Capitol News. Whenever it is convenient, or I am in place, I never miss this “newscast.” That’s why I describe most of them as viewscasts. (No need for my man to employ regular telephone callers to say regular things.)

It’s no crime, mind you, to share your political views and peculiar analyses with your fans. (Perhaps I do just that, herein.) But spare us the grandiose journalistic description of “news” when most of the “presentation” is actually views. But Enrico is the most subtle amongst teleactivists. His comments and positions are cleverly injected and to the innocent and unsuspecting, they are swallowed without much discomfort. Perhaps they’re more dangerous then. But do your thing Enrico. I’ll remain a fan. If not a believer. From Syracuse to Georgetown - expertly done!

With hands up...surrender!

On the Capital News, last week Thursday, which announced the death of the bandit Brown, even as the operation was criticised and we were reminded that these young killers spent “half their lives under the PNC, and half under the PPP”, there was this piece where UG academic, current PNC MP, former Minister of Education and leader of the Korokwa Folksingers, Mr. Deryck Bernard, upbraided the Buxton raiding party for not taking the six alive.

There have been the expected, perhaps appropriate responses, to that (justified) lament but why is it that a scenario keeps popping up in my mind’s eye: with or without the forces, Deryck Bernard, Mike McCormack and one or two teleactivists approach the bandit-killers’ hideout. “You are known and surrounded. Come out with your empty hands in the air”, the fellas command. What would be the likely response by the criminals?

Send me you answers. But consider the scenario well first. Who know what the desperadoes might do. After recognising certain voices...

The teleactivists’ tapes

The post-1992 “Freedom-of-the-Press” environment has spawned the most liberal - and ridiculous - state of affairs in certain media. Especially the local “Televisions Sectors.” (Where else in the Caribbean would certain local TV behaviour go unhindered?)

The pro-opposition teleactivists go to extremes to represent their causes from time to time. One fellow said that if he had seen Dale Moore or Troy Dick at Shaka Blair’s funeral, he would “shake their hands.” No question of turning them in. Even though they had killed at the prison gates.

Then there was the airing of the bandit - Blackie tapes and, allegedly, notebooks with names of top crooks. Poor police never traced who helped to produce that terrorist video, when and where. Now comes Enrico with his Romel Reman tape. Obviously made when the killer was alive. The tape, of course would have been dropped off secretly by some anonymous person. Dare anyone ask for “sources”!

Oh but the teleactivists boys are beautiful. Together shift the focus from the killer bandits - now neutralised - who stole millions and killed many, to the big business or political barons who control the Narco-Trade great stuff, I say, as I admire the technique. The fact that the dead killers and existing crooks are being manipulated and used by the Big Ones, makes their murderous deeds - disrupting social norms and making life a living hell - less reprehensible. Hand it to the teleactivists as they go to the root causes. And impress the gullible.

Ponder...

1) If the bandit-killers were working for the big-business- political ones, shouldn’t I be glad that they are no more? Or should I have heard from them first? For their verifiable exposes?

2) Now that more cocaine has “passed”, one fellow reminded me that last Friday I omitted the fact that even our few airport sniffer dogs “report sick” for certain flights.

2b) Spare a thought on Sunday for all missing fathers and murdered fathers.

3) Leslie and Janet: on Wednesday Dr. Leslie Ramsammy - still Minister and more articulate than others, delivered a stirring factual account of the “firsts” in Janet Jagan’s remarkable life. Hate her all you like. Then try naming another woman to match her, over the past five decades.

4) Pardon for being guilty too - to so many young “TV Personalities”, “TV” means telephone and videos.

5) What do you know of the Enmore Martyrs? Could you fellas not find it possible to congratulate Sri Lanka for successfully chasing 312 on Sunday?

6) For Father’s Day Sunday one guy is sending his grandpa 10 heart tablets and 24 viagras!

`Til next week!