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OUR LEADERS HEALTH

Oct 24, 2016 Editorial

Rumors have surfaced that some public officials have been seeking medical care overseas. This is expected, since many of our leaders are approaching six score and ten, which is the lifespan of a person based on the Scriptures. There is no question that the health of our leaders is very important and the nation must pray for them to remain healthy to carry out their arduous task.
The health of a person should be kept private. It is against medical ethics for doctors or nurses to disclose to the public the health problems of a private person.
But should the same rules apply to our leaders who are public officials? Some believe that the health of our president and the cabinet should be kept private and should only be raised when there is a factual basis to do so. Others are of the view that the public has a right to know about the health of their leaders. Either way, the rumors or conjectures have created much uncertainty and anxiety and could undermine the public’s trust. Our leaders should disclose their trips abroad, even if they are for routine medical check-up.
During the past year, some public officials have secretly traveled abroad to seek medical help. Ironically, stress from the job has more to do with their illness than their age, which may or may not be good for them. However, this is not the first time government officials have sought medical help overseas. During the last administration, many have abused their privilege by seeking medical care overseas for themselves, spouses and children for simple illnesses such as the flu, an eye or ear infection or a stomach virus. Some have allowed their spouses to use public funds to enhance their looks.
The country’s first President, Forbes Burnham literally collapsed and died on the job on August 6, 1985 from a heart attack during surgery on his throat at the Georgetown Hospital.
He was only 62 years old. His sudden death shocked the nation, the entire Caribbean and perhaps the world. Many did not believe that he died from a heart attack. They thought that he had throat cancer due to his constant smoking. Others claimed that he was diabetic. Whatever were the circumstances of his death, it will continue to occupy the forensic minds and skills of historians and social scientists.
Twelve years later, the nation’s third President, Cheddi Jagan, suffered a serious heart attack on the job and was rushed to the Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, DC where he died on March 6, 1997 at age 79. His death also shocked the nation. The sudden deaths of the nation’s two former presidents caught everyone by surprise. Many did not know that they were ill. Their deaths make it only natural for the public to know about the health problems of their leaders. It will help them to cope much better both physically and mentally with their passing.
There are some in the cabinet and in top positions in the government who may feel that they are entitled to their privacy with regard to their health, like the average citizen should. And they may be right. But they should also accept that as President, Prime Minister or members of the cabinet, they are not average citizens. They do not have to sit through traffic or wait in line to pay a bill or wait for hours to see a doctor. Also, they have their own personal security team and can afford to go abroad for medical check-up at the taxpayers’ expense.
The price of being a public figure is a life under the public microscope. No one is suggesting that the President or the Prime Minister or members of the cabinet need to inform the nation every time they have indigestion, a runny nose or an inflamed hemorrhoid. But if they have a serious illness that jeopardizes their ability to work, they should disclose it. We wish them the best of health.

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