“When someone finally asked the chicken why he crossed the road; His answer was:
“I got my reasons.”
The Opposition walked out of the House of Assembly on Tuesday. They were indignant that their 115 or so questions were being shifted to a lower slot on the programme of the day.
Oh, how jealous the neglected elderly of the territory are about that move. They wish that their plight could provoke any response from the Honorable House, let alone something so dramatic. For such a move would signal to them that they matter.
BVI has been following the American dream for generations with some positive benefits. America has the best sick care industry in the world and when you need it, if you can pay, the results are impressive.
But developing countries’ leaders with minuscule budgets were always aware of the importance of primary health care. It helps to keep people healthier, longer, and a healthy workforce is good for the economy.
More importantly, it limits hospital stays and, ultimately, reduces the overall cost of health care. In any case, at the tertiary care level, doctors want you in and out to make that hospital bed available for the next paying customer.
So, they hardly take time to diagnose the illness and the course of treatment (unless you see them in their private offices) before discharge so families make, sometimes, 3 or 4 trips to the hospital in a week with their sick relatives for the same complaint.
Tertiary health care is big business and, if nothing changes in the Territory, the NHI Scheme, a vital social safety net, will collapse under its weight.
Before we placed primary and tertiary health care under a Board where the resources are disproportionately exhausted on sick care, we had a vibrant public health system with a public health clinic in just about every district.
The elderly benefited from frequent visits to their homes from public health nurses to follow up on their health and wellbeing. Dental health was talked about in schools and dental hygienists came around to teach and help with scheduling for dentist visits.
The mentally ill had the assistance of community mental health nurses. Project lifestyles, focusing on nutrition, was taught in schools and the Health Educators bridged the health and wellness gap by instilling sound habits like keeping the body and the environment clean.
In those days the First Estate understood its role and provided a strong moral compass for the communities. Cleanliness being next to godliness was often discussed. Nowadays, of course, they seem distracted by grandiose titles and being the greatest in the kingdom.
Perhaps, in some instances, if we were to return to basics, all may not be lost. Public Health matters. Primary Health Care matters. And to be fair, Tertiary Health Care is vital. But there must be a healthy balance.
So, when Honourable Members decided to walk out of the House of Assembly, it would have been good if, in addition to the PAC, that outrage was focused on the plight of the forgotten elderly; On matters of mental health and public health;
On safety; On demanding urgent fixes for crime, out of control.
On the executive arm of government that has ceded the administration of the government to the judicial arm with, so far, disastrous results;
On the needs of the people;
For while disrespect in any form should not be tolerated, by the looks of things, Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition has bigger fish to fry.
Fridays know it to be true for the suffer ring is squeezing the public’s finger.
Happy Friday!”