THE EDITOR: Please allow me a little space in your column to express some of my fears of the UNC.

Whenever the party makes an announcement, I do the following:
(a) Hold on to something that is firmly buttressed
(b) Seek another opinion
(c) Worry about the party’s ability to renege on any agreement

I am scared of the UNC. At present, the party is calling for constitutional reform; what  sections of the Constitution need amendments and what are the proposals of  the party? Why has  the Constitution  suddenly become unworkable in the past months and is now a threat to a sizeable section of my countrymen? Where was this “rickety constitution” when the UNC was in office? The party is desperate to get its hands on the till and is prepared to try any devious means to achieve this end. Do our politicians want a coalition government? Will deadlock reign with a Government comprising of the following: PNM/UNC/NAR/CA/et al.

AUGUSTUS  LEWIS
Marabella

THE EDITOR: Medical students in University, as well as doctors seeking continuing medical education, are being taught increasingly the practice of evidence-based medicine, that is, the judicial use of medication, of appropriate surgery, or of laboratory and other investigations, based on extensive research from which tried and proven methods have been selected.

Mr Franklyn Khan, Minister of Works and Transport, declares as his aim  “to bring some discipline and order in the whole process” (of what remains unclear).  He then targets (presumably as undisciplined and disorderly) “illegal access to the Solomon Hochoy and the Churchill Roosevelt Highways” which are “traffic hazards”.  He also refers to the proliferation of billboards as being a “distraction to traffic” (??)  and also “pose a traffic hazard” (a phrase I abhor intensely).  And, like all politicians, he seeks to address an illegal problem, like driving through red traffic lights, which has been ignored for many years so that it has become normal.

But Mr Khan has not for one moment sought to look at, and research, the factors involved in the numerous fatal and non-fatal “accidents” on our roads.  He has not, for example, asked for a report on the alcohol levels of drivers whose vehicles “went out of control”, on the condition of the vehicles involved in accidents, on the estimated speed of one or other of the vehicles based on the brake marks’ measurements at the site. He has not even referred to the numerous recommendations for the use of breathalysers.  He has not asked for regulations regarding the maximum speed limit for public transport vehicles and for heavy duty vehicles.  Nor has he asked for a report on the disturbing absence of Highway Patrols at any time of day or night.

Mr Khan’s theatre does little to help the situation of murder and mayhem on our roads.  Indeed, failure to deal logically and systematically with problems may reveal a disturbing lack of competence displayed by those for whom we voted, hoping desperately for serious progress from third-world thinking and underdeveloped status.  For ministers to perform adequately, some form of continuing management education may be essential. Mr Manning must look seriously into  the performance and “performing” of those he selects as ministers of government…but then…

Dr B Chapman Boyd,
Family and Occupational Health Physician,
Arima

PS It is interesting to note that, in the United Kingdom, the term MVA (Motor Vehicle Accidents) has been officially and more realistically changed to Motor Vehicle Crashes.

THE EDITOR: Mr Colm Imbert has returned from Cuba grinning from ear to ear! He believes that he is going to have the country believe that he solved the problem — doctors and nurses for so.

No mention has been made, however, as to whether they are fluent in the English tongue. How they will understand the patients’ problems, should this not be the case, remains to be seen. (Sign language? Or are we going to hire interpreters  too?  The same doctors now withholding their services, perhaps!) Great planning!  Whilst not wishing to be an alarmist, it would be very alarming for a patient to go in for say an ingrowing toenail and find themselves suddenly minus an entire limb simply because of a lack of communication. Any person who have travelled will know how frustrating this can be under the best of circumstances, far less under distressing or emergency conditions! The other side of this situation that no one has queried is that the Medical Board (doctors), not Government, is the body empowered to grant a licence to practise.

Who else was on the team with Mr Imbert in making this choice? (For us, because he and his cohorts will be going abroad for treatment) — any doctors? Worse yet, Government will “pass” or “amend” legislation just so, so that the Cuban doctors can work in Trinidad! Does anyone in Trinidad realise the utter contempt that this shows for our “laws”. Passing legislation is apparently the be all and end all for this Government and appears to be the only thing they are capable of. Incidentally, when does Mr Manning plan to deal with constitutional reform (prominent on his platform list of TO DO’S)?  Is he planning, as has been his pattern, to spring his own convenient to him version on the Nation “last minute” just in time to ensure PNM’s success in the next General Election?  Or not at all?   

Saturday’s news reports on the Ministry of Agriculture handing out agricultural plots in Mayaro, a marginal known for copra, and Moruga. When questioned on “markets”, his response was that as Minister his thrust was exports!  He is not involved with local markets apparently. Is there a “Local” Min of Agriculture to deal with the local market, au courant with the situation in the country which pays his soon to be increased again Parliamentary salary?  Planning is certainly not this administration’s forte, or perhaps their plans are best known to themselves.

The PM’s announced dream of a new Parliament Building (Manning House?) certainly lacks evidence of any planning (or inclusion) from information available. My advice is to keep your ears and eyes open. Pay attention, or you may suddenly find that a lot more of the freedoms you have hitherto taken for granted will suddenly have been compromised, eg your personal communications. When this happens it takes a lot longer to undo — just look at Iraq. It has taken more than 20 years to get rid of Saddam the Saviour.

VIRGINIA VERITY
Port-of-Spain

The Editor: Fate at times gives us an opportunity to correct some of the mistakes we commit in this human existence. Such was the case with the UNC regime imposed on this nation by former President Arthur NR Robinson following the 17-17-2 divide in 1995 when he held the two crucial tie-breaker Tobago seats as the leader of the NAR.  He later went on to become minister extraordinaire and then President of the Republic; allegedly brokered as part of the settlement in return for his support of Panday as prime minister.

Ironically another election stalemate (18-18) was to fall in his lap as president in 2001, once more thrusting him into the role of tie breaker.  The rest is history.  The PNM is now in a similar position to correct a great wrong which it inflicted on this country during its 1991-1995 term of office.  Former Public Administration minister and mostly absent MP Gordon Draper imposed the RHA system on this country on the basis that it would improve our health care system and provide better decentralised care for our citizens.

By now this has proven to not be so. The RHA system has proven to be one of the worst institutions ever introduced to this country and perhaps second to Caroni 1975 Ltd in terms of draining the treasury. Some people are before the courts facing fraud charges, doctors are being paid exorbitant thousands of dollars to provide care for the citizens yet they are striking illegally at the drop of a hat. They are able to do private practice, during working hours ,while being paid to work for the state; now the state is paying private clinics owned by some of these very doctors to care for patients affected by their illegal strike action. In addition, some doctors under the guise of forming a trade union have opened a UNC party group aimed at bringing down the ruling party. This nonsense must be brought to an end, and quickly.

Fate has given the PNM the opportunity to correct this great mistake  imposed on this nation by Gordon Draper. It is time to admit that the RHA system has failed as it had in other countries; abandon and scrap it now. There is no reason to continue, as to do so will only guarantee  further suffering on the nation’s citizens seeking proper health care. Stand tall PNM and admit that you made a mistake with the RHA system, act now and bring   this grand folly to an end.

Mc  Donald James
Couva

THE EDITOR: Look, I begin by admitting right away that I am no great fan of Marion O’Callaghan’s writing. I find her articles far too long and wordy to sustain my interest. As a former lecturer, I generally advised my students to be terse, concise, and to say what they mean in as few, powerful words as possible. Ms O’Callaghan’s writing I find to be diffuse, overly prolix and flabby, and I hardly ever get beyond the second column, even when determined to read her entire article.  This having been said, I readily admit that I appreciate her earnestness, honesty and the sincerity of her offerings. Her stuff is not my cup of tea, but I do not gainsay Ms O’Callaghan’s intellectual probity nor what are obviously her genuinely charitable intentions.

It is for this reason that I cannot fathom why Ms O’Callaghan has taken it upon herself to try to engage the rabid Ian Taylor in a jousting match.  Taylor’s every public pronouncement is laced with an unreasoning fanaticism, an obsession with human sexuality as something evil and a manifest yearning for the world pre-Vatican II.  His declarations on carnival, coming from a non-priest, would have attracted justified umbrage from almost every quarter.  Has the NCC even made a statement on Taylor’s irrational and nonsensical remarks? I would be quite willing to pay myself for him to attend a dozen or so sessions with a good psychoanalyst. One imagines the findings would be most edifying! To conclude, I would like, in all humility, to proffer a bit of advice to Ms O’Callaghan.  Nothing in any of Taylor’s public statements gives any evidence that he is open to reasonable, intellectually honest or sober debate. Leave that character alone.  There are far worthier issues deserving of your fair pen.

MARTIN BEAUSOLEIL
Toco Road
Rampanalgas