Going backwards…

…on suicide

Prezzie says he needs more than anecdotal evidence to start acting on our suicide epidemic. With the Ministry of Health having conducted at least half a dozen studies on suicide and launched a Gatekeepers’ Programme, OP forming a National Suicide Secretariat and launching so many initiatives over the last decade, you mean just because the MINISTERS changed, ALL THE governmental INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY WAS FLUSHED DOWN THE DRAINPIPE.

That’s a real crying shame, fifty years after independence. Guyana didn’t just hit the top of the suicide hit parade in the world overnight. It’s always been there. But because it was always more prevalent in the rural, Indian Guyanese population, no one took notice. It was like with the slaves who jumped overboard when they were crossing the Atlantic: the traders always catered for “loss at sea” and shipped in a few “extra”. With the Indians back in indentureship, they could always send over a few more.

And the attitude continued during the colonial days: the folks who kill themselves are expendable…”just ship in a few more”. They’re also out in the boons – who hears about them? But what’s unforgivable is we never spend enough time and money right after Independence to try and lower the suicide rate. And even though as mentioned above the PPP Government did make a stab – that was all it was: a stab. Compared to the programmes they unfurled against AIDS and Drugs, suicide wasn’t even in the picture.

You’ll hear suicide is “self-inflicted” and there’s not much you can do about it. Well, AIDS and Drugs are also “self-inflicted” to a great extent, aren’t they? But we’ve had programmes to combat them for years. Fact of the matter, whenever a phenomenon affects one GROUP differentially than another GROUP in the same environment, it means that something is acting beyond the INDIVIDUAL level.

We have to look at what those factors are – internally and/or externally. This has been done in Guyana. The probing and the prodding to find out what causes suicide in Guyana are already documented. What’s needed is money to implement the programmes already crafted based on the findings of those studies. And even more poignantly, there’s been a credible group that’s hit the ground running and willing to continue with the aforementioned Gatekeepers’ Programme.

But the power team around Prezzie have launched their own “group”, which posed for a well decked-out pic and then disappeared. Leaving Prezzie to plead for a “study”.

Sir, just look around – the studies are there as well as the workers – just the funding is lacking. Sign the Cheque.

…on contract workers

This column’s been VERY harsh on Chris “Lalloo” Ram…but your Eyewitness has to give a hat tip to the man on some of his recent positions. First, there was his very principled stance on the need for more consistency on the part of the Government on its abrupt closure of Wales. And now his refusal to back down on a similar hypocrisy of the Government on the vexed issue of “contract workers”.

Your Eyewitness had already dealt with the issue – but Ram dug up figures showing that – contrary to the Government’s pre-elections “promise” to cut back contract workers with their “fat cat” super salaries (according to Nagamootoo) – the Government has actually INCREASED THE NUMBER OF CONTRACT WORKERS!!

Well, not only should Patrick Yarde and Lincoln Lewis be miffed at this betrayal by an ally, but so should the Guyanese taxpayers – meaning me and you, Dear Readers.

It’s our (pitiable) salaries that’ll be underwriting these additional super salaries!

…on mining corrupting

Let’s face it – gold mining has always been…ummm….a “Wild West” undertaking. But how will “I is” Broomes wipe out corrupt practices – as she promised? She’s breaking at least the spirit of the law – if not the letter – by leasing her holdings to a company her Ministry’s regulating!