Healthcare crumbles, Dominica stumbles, while Labor Party rumbles with CBI Loot

Why does this Labor Administration spend such large amounts of
the Country's much-needed funds without first presenting plans to the Parliament?  The Administration seem to find it very easy to dole out large sums of money to organizations outside of Dominica yet find it very difficult to spend funds to put essential services that would benefit the Citizenry whose money is being squandered.  It appears to be a pattern with the Labor Party Administration.  They seem to have no difficulty spending money on pet projects instead of targeting projects that could benefit the public.

For example, let’s examine the following situation. Marigot and Wesley are two large villages situated in a northeastern part of the island and in close proximity to the country’s main airport; the airport sits between both villages.  Marigot used to have a hospital which served a large area stretching from Kalingo territory to Woodfordhill / Palm Tree (at least 8 villages).   Unfortunately, the Ministry of Health allowed this hospital to deteriorate so badly that it had to be permanently shut down due to termite infestation and mold overgrowth. This left a large swath of the North Eastern population and the Melville Hall (aka Douglas-Charles) Airport without hospital services.  Accident and Emergency Care was shifted to the Wesley Health Center and a private home was turned into a temporary facility which at present serves as the Hospital (no better than a community center providing ancillary services).  Now that the North Eastern Region has no Hospital, many of the free standing community clinics are forced to act as pseudo Emergency centers.  Unfortunately, the Labor Administration has not realized the role that those clinics have assumed and that they should be equipped accordingly. Recently, a gentleman died because he could not get the nebulizer treatment that could have saved his life, after presenting at one such clinic in the North East. That is totally unacceptable!

What really is going on in the Ministry of health? One would think that, with an abundance of medical professionals working in that ministry which is also headed by a Physician, they would understand the importance of making sure that all facilities acting as frontline for healthcare would be appropriately stocked with the necessary basic Emergency equipment and medications.  Maybe someone needs to refresh their knowledge. So here goes.  Does the ministry understand that a lack of these items could be a matter of life or death to the individual who walks through the doors? Therefore, if your clinic is going to act as a quasi-Emergency Center, here is a short list of medication and equipment you should have on hand at all times.

Do you find this list extensive? Obviously, the Health Ministry seem to think so? How else can one explain the Labor Administration spending $15million in 4 months on a Public Relations Firm to "promote Dominica" while leaving their citizens to die at poorly equipped health clinics?  Tourists also get sick. So, while this Public Relations Firm is busy publishing glowing reports about how good things are in Dominica for visitors and investors, one hopes that they also include information alerting would-be tourist and investors that whenever they visit Dominica they should remember to take out Evacuation Insurance. Should they should fall ill, because the healthcare is in shambles, they would need to leave the island to receive adequate care. Presently, the only ones who have access to Evacuation is the Administration, their families, associates and close friends. The current President benefited from said evacuation service at tax payer’s expenses and, more recently, another minister was evacuated by Helicopter Service to receive health care.

It just unconscionable that this deplorable situation is allowed to exist while the Finance Minister boasts of how much CBI money he has in the Bank.  Does he understand that Dominica’s CBI monies is to take care of the citizens of Dominica? The Labor Party Administration  should stop using CBI money to promote propaganda about Dominica. Stop this relentless siphoning of CBI money to buy votes.  Dominica has had enough with this kleptocracy. Tax payers' money should be used for sustainable investments that would benefit all Dominicans rather than just a chosen few.