Prevention If You Can Cure!

17^th August 2011

Situation: The Prime Minister has contracted the dengue fever. Officials tell us it is not a serious strain but the public gives a strange response. If it's not SO serious then why make a big deal about it? Is it just then a ploy by the government to soften the public's view against them? If our 'beloved' PM has it, anybody can be a victim and therefore maybe it isn't right to blame the Health Authority on their handling of the situation? Or maybe it's just time for them to literally 'clean up their act'.

1800 cases of dengue so far for the year? Less than last year they say. It does’t feel that way to us and especially since the statistics are not up to date it probably is more than 1800. That brings to mind something though. All this bush around the place which is obviously harvesting hordes of mosquitoes, last year around this time it was not so bushy.
And if you catch what I’m getting at you probably are a CEPEP maintenance worker who had a job last year and have none this year since the current ‘administration’ felt that you were expendable and cut the program.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I Agree that the CEPEP program should have been cut. It was never meant to be a permanent source of employment. It was a training program providing work for citizens while training them in a chosen vocation. People just get hook on it and wanted to make it their ‘permanent’ job which is why you voted in the current government who stupidly promised you that they would keep the program running even though they knew they wouldn't.


However, my point is, why isn’t there a general countrywide clean-up program anyway? And I’m not talking about the annual thing TIDCO (Tourism and Industrial Development Company) does do on the beach. I’m talking about an everyday all year all the time cleaning service for the country like what the city corporation does for Port-of-Spain. The current CEPEP program was not supposed to be permanent but that doesn’t mean that we can’t put something like that in place.

It's a great idea. Why? Because you can clean your yard all you want, empty stagnant water, clean out all the brick holes, and spray till you nearly dead with cough but if it have a lot of land next door that does never get clean it will always have mosquitoes! You think that they wouldn’t find you in the night when you sound asleep and underneath your net too?
Health officials cannot always blame peoples living conditions for them contracting dengue. There are a lot of empty lots all over the country that are unattended, from savannahs to football fields to vacated, old houses on properties. Who are responsible for cleaning these places that inevitably contribute to the spreading of dengue as well?


So, Mr. Fuad Khan are you going to tell Madame Prime Minister that she needs to be more vigilant about keeping her surrounding clean to prevent mosquitoes breeding like you did the poor parents whose children contracted the disease and some of them who even died? Or is the government going to do the right thing and accept some responsibility for the epidemic and be aggressive with their clean-up campaign.


I remember long time, every so often meaning twice or three times a year, the 'mosquito people' (that's what I called them) used to come around and spray the area in the villages, put the powder thing in your water tank outside to kill any mosquitoes who found their way in there and so forth. Nobody asked them to come, but they came, just like Courts to repossess your furniture, they showed up one day and did their thing.
Obviously it was some programme in the government at the time to maybe prevent water borne diseases and mosquitoes, something! Why don't they do that any more? I don't remember the last time I saw someone come around from the health authority or whichever branch of the government to do those things. Maybe the practices are no longer condoned by international health standards but something else needs to be put into place!


The government needs to get out there. Work with the councillors in the towns and villages, especially the areas that have the highest cases of dengue to find vacant lots that need to be cleaned and get a campaign together and start working on eradicating the dengue virus through prevention more than treatment cause we doctors need help, I sorry! Don't wait on citizens to call. We want to build a thousand and one building to reach a first world status but we can't beat dengue?


Take the matter into your own hands as the government and move pro-actively. That will save face in the eyes of the nation A LOT BETTER than crying how the PM sick. Sick? Go clean your yard Prime Minister, is your fault you got dengue. That's the advice we got from the Health Authority and we are giving it to you.


So, my question today, apart from all that is, do you think that the ending of the CEPEP program has now caused us more trouble as we are ultimately reaping the rewards of higher dengue cases due to lack of a clean environment?

Leh meh hear yuh nah?!

Trinbagonian Baby

Dealing with real, everyday issues in Trinidad and Tobago today.

'That's Insulting!"

15^th August 2011

Situation: The Trade Unions want more. The government 'promises' 5% increase then pulls it back. The Unions threaten to shut down the country or else. Then the government airs a commercial with a scenario of a child asking for a raise in allowance from $5 to $50, but the mother calmly explains all the reasons they can't afford it. The child insists they want it anyway and threatens to stop doing any chores if the parent doesn't comply. The ad ends asking if the a shut down of the country is really necessary.

I'm sorry but I just find it so appropriate to quote from the former political leader of the UNC Basdeo Panday, because it is so blatantly ‘insulting!’ in soooo many ways. If you haven’t seen the ad, then tune into TV6 or any channel during the news hour 7-8pm and you are bound to see it at least once. I don’t know what the government was aiming at with the ad (frankly I think the person who suggested it is a spy trying to sabotage them, they need to check that!). Well, I know what  they wanted and hoped would be the response, a thoughtful deflation by public servants, maybe? Which would lead to no striking, perhaps? Here’s what has come about from the ad instead, from my observation that is.

First of all, people have either one, understood it or two, not understood it at all. I can’t count how many times I’ve had people comment about the ‘new commercial on tv with the rude lil’ child and what that all about.’

Once they understand of course, is another story, and none of them are in favour of the government.

The very comparison of a parent and child arguing over a greater allowance is viewed as insulting.

“So, the government is we mother and we getting on bad for more money,” one woman put it, “so we, the people who is the backbone ah dis nation is just lil’ children then?”

Which brings us to another point. How can a child shut down a house? It’s ridiculous, right? I’m sure every parent who saw that chuckled inwardly as they’ve probably been through that before and well know the outcome. But what then is the government trying to tell public servants? Is that the light they see their citizens in? As spoiled, mischievous children demanding more or else, even though they really can’t do anything  about it once the parents say, ‘no!’ Which also says that if citizens try to shut down the country, the government will take steps to ‘discipline’ them, like a parent scolding a child?

“They need to remember is we put them in government,” an older man reiterated, and I concur!

Frankly, I take a stance about the ad that few have. Do you know how much a full length commercial like that costs? Anything between $30,000 to $50,000 depending on the advertising agency you go with and THEN depending on the media house you advertise with it costs anywhere between $20,000 to $30,000 dollars, for each time you air the advertisement! !! This is the same government that has no money to pay public servants properly but has money to spend to tell public servants why they can’t pay them properly! I don’t know who told them that this would work, but all it has done is incense citizens even more.

NO BODY is going to believe that you have no money! Even IF it is true. Not when the police commissioner is being paid his weight in gold. (Many people don’t understand why this is but I believe it has to do with stupid taxes you are charged for being a foreigner working in another country which the government was trying to compensate for but that is why you don’t hire foreigners’ cause you have to pay them too much!)

Nobody is going to believe you when there are people giving contracts to their families left, right and center and talks of bribes even in the governments own backyard!

Not when soca artists can jump an wave on a stage and get TWO million dollars….for THAT! I love soca but that was ridiculous. If a promoter wanted to do that, fine! They can do what they want with the money they make. But for a government that has a country and a healthy economy to maintain and tax-payers dollars to invest properly that was not responsible!

Nobody is going to believe that the country has no money when a government makes such moves and STILL our health system is in tatters, and our policemen taking bribs because they don’t get paid properly so they are turning a blind eye to crime and there are still places where there are no infrastructure so people have no proper roads or running water and I could go on an on!

No-body-believes-you. Even IF, it is true. The facts are against you Peoples Partnership and you can’t fool all the people, all the time, so try again.

So, what do you, the people think? Does the government have the money or can they make it if they just commit to honestly switching around their budget to pump more money into what really matters?

Leh meh hear yuh nah?!

Trinbagonian Baby

Dealing with real, everyday issues in Trinidad and Tobago today.

Ready or Not, Here Dengue Comes!

10^th Aug. 2011

Situation: Dengue Haemorrhagic fever is rampant again and the latest victim is an eight year old girl. The child's parents believe the hospital did not do everything they could to treat her as they sent her home 3 o' clock in the morning despite her condition and she died hours after when she became unconscious and they raced her back to the hospital.

Dengue. Yes, like flooding, corruption in the government and high food prices, we have to deal with it every year and it's always the same stupidness. Like we can’t figure it out yet. On Wednesday (10^th), in the Newsday newspaper I believe, was a picture of little Asia Archibald (correct me if the name is spelt wrong) laid to rest after dying from dengue and then the same night we had to watch the Health Minister, Dr. Fuad Khan, say on the news that all procedures were followed and the doctors were right in sending her home.

Now, is it just me or do the doctors in Trinidad and Tobago public health system seem to be not properly trained? I’m sure all procedures were followed Mr. Khan but was it the right thing to do? Aren’t doctors supposed to take care of people? Aren’t they supposed to look after the patients interest first? A doctor, especially our doctors who have to deal with dengue cases EVERY single year, are supposed to know a person’s state in all phases of the illness. What their blood pressure should be like, their heart rate, their response time, their reflexes, all the things about them that will give you an automatic red flag to know that they are in a serious state so you can make a critical decision to save someone’s life despite procedure. Clearly Asia was in the deep end and possibly in the last phase of the illness as she died only hours after.

You telling me no doctor there at the time could have seen that? Any doctor, despite procedure, who could have recognized the condition that that child was in would have known that she needed immediate treatment and needed to be constantly monitored and would have never sent her home. It don’t take test results for a GOOD, TRAINED doctor to recognize the symptoms of a possibly fatal yes, but still seemingly common illness, in Trinidad and Tobago any way, and treat it accordingly. Which leaves us to think that our doctors could not possibly be properly trained!

I’m sorry, Mr. Khan, but come better than that. They could have at least kept that child and monitored her as she obviously showed symptoms of dengue, or else why would they send to test for it, despite the fact that the official results didn’t come back yet.

So my question today, do you think our doctors are really trained and capable of handling the dengue illness as Mr. Khan assured us? And are the hospital procedures to be placed above taking every action possible to save a life?

Leh meh hear yuh nah?!

Trinbagonian Baby

Dealing with real, everyday issues in Trinidad and Tobago today.

Also see link below for story in the Trinidad Newsday.

Even the Integrity Commission Need Some!

8th August 2011

Situation: The Integrity Commission has been investigating the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar (correct me if the spelling is wrong) on allegations that a government contract was awarded to one of her family friends. She had previously fired one of her government ministers, Mrs. Mary King, for this same reason. Mr. Fitzgerald Hinds, an Opposition Senator, wrote to the Integrity Commission on their findings of which they cleared the Prime Minister of all but one issue. Mr. Hinds is accusing the Prime Minister of 'giving the impression that the matter was at an end' and was therefore misleading the public. The Prime Minister in turn got a letter from the Integrity Commission clearly her of all allegations. Who's telling the truth?

You know. This whole thing with the Integrity Commission and 'who say dem say an what not' about the Prime Minister could be solved so easily. ‘Mr. Registrar,’ Martin Farrell at the Integrity Commission who writing all those letters back and forth! I suggest Ian Alleyne for the task. Find him, where ever he is and get the truth out of him. And if he’s just a middle man and passing along information at least we could still get some idea of what is going on. Frankly, I think the confusion is partly Mr. Farrell's fault. The letter should have had better clarification as to what the ‘other aspect’ of Mr. Hinds complaint was. Why not? Just so we both know that we’re talking about the same thing, right?

Then again, I’m sure he had no idea that Mr. Hinds would have gone public with it. I mean, come on Hinds, ask a few more questions, nah! Be absolutely 100% sure before you accuse the Prime Minister of a country of something so serious. Kamla's fake smile does make me feel she up to something plenty times but prove before you accuse, man! I guess everyone knows better now, right?

And as for Moonilal’s call for an apology. Pah-lease! All’s fair in love and politics. When the attorney general apologises about his allegations against the most recent former prime minister concerning a certain piano which was TOTALLY uncalled for (I don’t know how somebody could miss a big ass piano in a corner no matter how much thing covering it!). Then! Then, I’m sure Mr. Hinds will be more than happy to apologise to the Honourable Prime Minister. But given the fact that Mr. Hinds seems to be more graceful than other politicians, he probably will apologise anyway. But don’t hold your breath Moonies! Politicians were made to bark at each other and their lives won’t be complete without it.

So, today, who do you think is telling the truth? And what’s the easiest, simplest way to find out what’s really going on here and do you think the Integrity Commission needs to clear up some things? They are the Integrity Commission after all! (I swear we citizens does know what to do better than the same leaders we put to run us sometimes.)

Leh meh hear yuh nah?!

Trinbagonian Baby

Dealing with real, everyday issues in Trinidad and Tobago today.


Also see link for story in Trinidad Express below.

This Is Why You Don't Leave Children Alone

4th August 2011

Situation: Young mother reportedly left her two young babies alone sleeping and one of them left the house during her absence and fell into a 4 foot deep hole on some property nearby and drowned.

As unfortunate as the situation was, this brings to mind many questions. The main one being, is it really fair to blame the mother totally? Now don’t get me wrong, it was her negligence that caused the incident. I mean come on, what parent in their right mind leaves babies unattended even if they are sleeping? But then that’s the next question. Was she in her right mind? Not that I’m saying that she is mentally unstable. But obviously she has very little inclination as to what are the responsibilities of a parent. Or else why would she think it safe to leave two sleeping babies by themselves to run get a…cigarette, was it? Play cards? Collect food? All kinds of stories I’ve heard but none of them seem more important than watching your children.

One then has to wonder at the training of this individual. I’m sure 1000’s of parents across Trinidad and Tobago said a collective ‘what?’ upon hearing such a thing, as it is evident to them that it is ridiculous to leave children unattended no matter their state, many of them chorusing from the experience of learning from taking care of many children themselves.

Which brings us back to training. This young lady (she ain’ 18 years yet no matter how many children she have!) has two children, both under the age of two, which gives us an idea of the age she was when she gave birth to them. Now before I say the rest let me acknowledge the young mothers out there who taking damn good care of their children and would never do something so stupid! But let me ask you this, not just the young parents but all, do or did you have help in raising your children? And by help I mean guidance. Many new parents don’t know what the hell they're doing and it’s ONLY their pure maternal and paternal instincts that does stop them from just doing dumb stuff that will endanger their childrens lives.

Everyone knows the saying, ‘it takes a village to raise a child’, but let me take it a bit further. If it takes a village to raise a child doesn’t that affect the raising capabilities of our future children as well? Who raised this young lady to be so absent-minded that she thinks it’s okay to leave her BABIES unattended? Obviously it was the same people who raised her to get pregnant twice before she was even old enough to vote. So, my question today people is, yes, blame the mother, she should have known better, but obviously she didn’t, and keep in mind she is still essentially a child herself. However, is she TOTALLY to blame, or is this just an example of the direction our society is heading in if we neglect to raise our children properly as this will inevitably affect their ability to be good parents.

Leh meh hear yuh nah?!

Trinbagonian Baby

Dealing with real, everyday issues in Trinidad and Tobago today.