To older folks – especially those from the rural sticks – the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) is simply the “Big Hospital” to which they go or are sent when they’re REALLY sick. With the law of averages being what it is, being sent to the Big Hospital became a death sentence to the masses. Which reputation was sealed during loooong PNC dictatorship. What with rats nibbling away at the toes of newborns and (not coincidently) Hamilton Green being s Minister of Death…erm…Health, how could it be otherwise??
The GPHC became a sordid illustration of Dante’s representation of Hell – with all the tortured souls writhing in the various levels. In modern terms “Big Hospital” was a hospice – where folks entered as a holding pen for the “the Big Sleep”. Many thought it was poetic justice when Burnham entered it for a “routine” throat operation and ended up a corpse on the table. Ever since, you’d notice that politicians are quickly medevacked to “outside” hospitals in the US, Trinidad and even Cuba!! Burnham’s fate became a cautionary take on the Big Hospital.
After the PPP’s 1992, return the Hospital was painfully improved – and while it still had a long way to go before it could reach first world standards, it slowly began to lose its ghoulish reputation. One of the important innovations was to make the Big Hospital into an autonomous corporation. To be run by a Board of Directors (comparatively) free from the political interference that poisons every government-run institution. While it falls under the MoH, the Board has representatives of several stakeholders and the Minister is supposed to only issue “policy” directives – not get involved in operational matters.
But when the PNC returned – like Freddy Kruger – in 2015, they immediately reinstituted the Burnhamite tradition of placing political hacks in charge of “autonomous” bodies. Remember how the CEO was sacked and an ex-army buddy was appointed by the Sanctimonious Gangster?? And while he boasted that this signalled the return of “professionalization” to the Big Hospital, citizens couldn’t help noticing that rather than checking in there when he had a medical issue, he flew off to Cuba!!
Anyhow, with all the improvements that the PPP had introduced, the Big Hospital had just “growd” as haphazardly as Topsy – with no coordination between departments and wards and such like!! But the new PPP government of Irfan Ali immediately embarked on a massive reconstruction of hospitals all over the country – even in the hinterland – that each of them now rival the Big Hospital. So, your Eyewitness was quite chuffed that a brand new integrated GPHC gonna be constructed!!
But do we have to get those Cuban staff that understand neither English or our Creole??
…on Ganja!!
Well, your Eyewitness has been following the heated (smoky) debate as to how we should deal with our favorite herb – brought to these shores by Indian indentureds – who gave it the name “GANJA”. Now in an interesting twist, it was adopted by African Jamaicans who made it essential as a sacrament in their Rastafari Religion and spread it worldwide. Including back in a circle to the other WI territories like our mudland.
Anyhow, it appears that the powers-that-be aren’t persuaded the herb should be legalized in toto. So right now, we have folks being thrown into the clinker for half an ounce in their possession!! What to do. Well, this government has based its entire development scheme on a Low carbon trajectory. So with marijuana plants of the same mass absorbing more than three times the Carbon than trees – he’s happy with its cousin Hemp getting some traction.
Our now unprofitable sugar lands have, can now earn Carbon Credits by growing hemp!!
…time on Haiti
Your Eyewitness has been pleading for the longest while that CariCom should take the lead to assist member Haiti out of its crisis. That Kenya – from across the Atlantic – is taking a lead on sending a force doesn’t reflect well on our cred.
