Ethnic cleansing of Afro Trinis?

THE EDITOR: On Friday June 6, 2003 Newsday printed a letter titled “Ethnic biases in Health Sector.” This letter states that doctors, “the majority of whom are of one ethnic group, are quick to remove the wombs of our African women.”

 Mr John Francis Williams of Port-of-Spain also states that such operations are also being done without permission. This letter is basically stating that there is ethnic cleansing of the Afro-Trinidadian by performing hysterectomies (removing wombs) on “African women.” He also implies that doctors of Indian ethnicity without permission were doing this. It is public knowledge that the majority of doctors in Trinidad and Tobago are of Indian ethnicity, either Indo-Trinidadian or Indian-born. This was well-publicised by many commentators as well as the Minister of Health. Except in emergencies, where death is the next option, all operations are done with written consent. In emergency situations, when permission is not obtained beforehand, efforts are made to contact the closest relatives as well as the most senior doctors, consultants and registrars. The emergency decision is then made collectively.

Emergency hysterectomies are done for massive bleeding, usually following childbirth. Such patients can die within hours. It is difficult to discuss hysterectomy under normal circumstances to a young woman and is traumatic to discuss following childbirth. By the time a decision is made to perform a hysterectomy, following a period of observation and resuscitation, the patient would have lost lots of blood and may be delirious and possibly unconscious. The senior doctors thus make the immediate decision, preferably with the patient and/or relatives. Such emergency cases are rare.

PHILIP AYOUNG CHEE FRCS
San Fernando