Uncaring Minister of Health

THE EDITOR: Anyone responsible for the health care system of a nation should be endowed with the spirit of compassion; moreso, if the political party he belongs to projected an image of caring in their election campaign. That person should respect the value of human life, especially when it comes to sickness and disease.

Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, Mr Colm Imbert displayed none of these attributes when questioned by reporters on the deaths of several babies at Mount Hope. His typical response was the “skin and grin” cynicism that the nation has become accustomed to. His behaviour was reminiscent of the sarcasm he heaps on the opposition and on MPATT. He never misses an opportunity to trivialise and belittle. This behaviour is surely not the way our Minister of Health, who since December 2001 has been batting with a coconut bat, should deport himself, and is really a crying shame on the government. Similar behaviour by government ministers was justifiably criticised and condemned in the recent past. Imbert, at the post cabinet media meeting, expressed no empathy for the parents, especially the mothers of those babies, while the sanctimonious prime minister made no attempt to correct him. Personally, I hope the Cuban doctors and nurses witnessed Imbert’s sardonic attitude and will soon decipher the true character of this Minister of Health.

JUDY GOSEIN
Harmony Hall