AT SOUTHAMPTON UNIVERSITY, LAST WEEK
Protest against exclusion of Chagossian and Mauritian government
representatives
A TRUE STORY
A Pocket of Misery
MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE
How far can you trust your doctor ?
MBC-TV
Faute de mieux ?
LICENCE
To drive and to kill
24/7
Contradictions et perplexité
HONNEUR
Abdool Jalil Abdool Haye Ahmadi fait PMSM
ÉCONOMIE
24/7 et heure d'été
AT SOUTHAMPTON UNIVERSITY, LAST WEEK
Protest against exclusion of Chagossian and Mauritian government
representatives
Leading UK scientists withdraw from Indian Ocean conservation
workshop
From 5th to 6th August, the National Oceanography Centre at Southampton
University held a workshop to discuss the establishment of a Marine
Protection Area (MPA) around the Chagos Islands, part of the British
Indian Ocean Territory, as proposed by the Chagos Conservation
Trust and other organisations.
However, no representatives from the exiled Chagossian community
or the Mauritian government, which claims that the area was illegally
excised from its territory before it gained independence from
Britain in 1968, were invited to this gathering of marine scientists
although the Foreign & Commonwealth Office fielded two desk
officers and a legal adviser.
In the run up to the workshop, some participants pointed out to
the organisers that the human dimension should not be excluded
from discussions since the Chagossian people, sooner or later,
may well recover their right to return to their homeland and some
may wish to settle in the Archipelago. It was felt that a meeting
which took no account of this was in danger of invalidating the
work and conclusions of the workshop.
Since the organisers were unwilling to alter the arrangements
for the event, two participants, Dr Lynda Rodwell, an Ecological
Economist of Plymouth University, and Dr Mark Spalding, Senior
Marine Scientist of The Nature Conservancy and Cambridge University
decided to withdraw from participation.
They have issued a public letter on their reasons for their withdrawal.
Public letter
" On 5-6 August a meeting was hosted by the National Oceanography
Centre, Southampton (NOCS) in collaboration with the Universities
of Warwick and Plymouth, under the auspices of the NERC Strategic
Ocean Funding Initiative (SOFI) with the aim of discussing the
development of a large marine protected area in the Chagos Archipelago.
This meeting follows on from earlier discussions and the issue
of a brochure by the Chagos Conservation Trust proposing an MPA.
These earlier developments had caused considerable consternation
among the Chagossian community as well as the Mauritian Government
because they were not brought into discussions on a matter which
clearly has very strong links to their own interests. Aware of
these concerns we, Dr Mark Spalding and Dr Lynda Rodwell, requested
that the organisers ensure that Chagossian interests were fairly
represented at the meeting. These requests went unanswered and
we so both pulled out of the meeting as a matter of principle.
While we understand that there may have been logistical reasons
for failing to answer our requests, we feel that ignoring Chagossian
interests in such discussions is not only hurtful, but may indeed
be counter-productive. We understand that the meeting was intended
to focus on science issues, but it is simply not possible to separate
conservation science from the wider political and human context.
The world of conservation is littered with failed or failing conservation
efforts because they have ignored basic human and social elements.
While the Chagossians remain barred from returning to settle in
the Archipelago at present, their right to return has in fact
been restored on three occasions by earlier court judgements.
Their case is now before the European Court of Human Rights.
It is important that the Chagossians too understand, and feel
involved with, the critical conservation and management issues
in their homeland and that they are not excluded from such discussions.
Similarly the UK continues to state its intention to transfer
sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius once they are no
longer required for military purposes. It would be both diplomatic
and sensible for Mauritius to have some input into discussions
over a major and likely long-term conservation management decision
in a territory which may some day come under their jurisdiction.
We are NOT opposed to conservation in the Chagos. On the contrary
we are sure that well-planned sustainable management will be critical
to the long-term future of Chagos, settled or uninhabited. A large
marine protected area could very likely offer the best means of
governance, but such a designation would not preclude human settlement,
as shown by the considerable levels of protection already applied
around the densely settled base on Diego Garcia. Involvement of
Chagossians in these discussions will clearly enhance the likelihood
of continued good governance should resettlement occur in the
future, and it will also serve a critical purpose in raising awareness
of all participants of the challenges and risks of resettlement,
particularly in the face of future climate change.
We ARE concerned that the continued exclusion of Chagossians
from such discussions will lead to a polarisation of views which
is both unnecessary and potentially damaging to the long term
future of the Archipelago. We hope that future further discussions
will include Chagossian representation and indeed that it might
be possible in the near term to convene another meeting precisely
to discuss all of the practical and human elements relevant to
the establishment of a large marine protected area in Chagos,
to include existing and potential future uses - military, fisheries,
recreation, and resettlement.
Dr Mark Spalding, The Nature Conservancy ; Conservation Science
Group University of Cambridge ; and Executive Committee Member
of the Chagos Conservation Trust.
Dr Lynda Rodwell, Lecturer in Ecological Economics, University
of Plymouth and one of original convenors of the workshop "
David Snoxell, the former British High Commissioner to Mauritius,
2000-2004, and co-ordinator of the UK Chagos Islands All Party
Parliamentary Group (APPG) commented : " This is the first
time that a strong statement of support for the Chagos Islanders
has come from highly regarded marine conservation experts. That
they were prepared to boycott an important meeting of the scientific
community because Chagossian and Mauritian interests were ignored
is highly creditable. "
He added : " I am sure that this stand will have a lasting
impact on the future consideration of the proposed Marine Protection
Area which both the Chagossians and Mauritius support. But all
concerned parties must be involved in the planning of this scheme,
otherwise it will fail. I am sure that the Chagos Islands APPG
would agree. "
Sean Carey
(Dr Sean Carey is Research Fellow at the Centre for Research
on Nationalism, Ethnicity and Multiculturalism (CRONEM) at Roehampton
University)
A TRUE STORY
A Pocket of Misery
While much attention, rightly so, is given to poverty usually
referring to financial poverty, much less is known about certain
miserable situations in life that some people, financially well
off go through.
We were, in year 2000, working in a remote agricultural village
situated at the foot of a mountain in one of the eastern districts
of our island. A very beautiful green locality with sugar cane
plantations to the top of the mountain, a river flowing from midway
this huge hill across the village through the fields, through
some inhabitants yards, pooling in a few places where the womenfolk
handwash the clothes ; the children enjoy a swim while the bus
drivers clean their vehicles. Benefiting from the adequate water
supply and the right climatic conditions a company even set up
a poultry farm there and provided more job opportunities for the
local inhabitants. A peaceful area of about three thousand inhabitants
mostly field workers for generations. Only recently some younger
ones have joined the manufacturing industry in a nearby village,
some men are involved with the private bus industry. Most of the
time the place looks deserted, work in the fields starts with
the rising sun, the children at school throughout the day and
the men come home after long working hours. The shops open for
a short while daytime but stay open from late afternoon to evening
for the habitual hot drink consumers. The health team on post
in the local community health centre midway in the village was
well accepted by one and all. We were at their service. Per week
three half day medical sessions are held according to an established
program of work, the medical officer attends either before going
to or after reporting from another health care point. The paramedical
team ensures a six day health coverage during routine working
hours. The health care point is closed during lunch time from
noon to one in the afternoon.
One Friday during lunch time the medical officer was requested
by the nursing officer on site to talk to a man who would not
leave the drug/medication dispensing counter unless he was issued
with a syringe, same which we were not allowed to give to patients,
much less to relatives, in those days. The man could not be reasoned.
Reaching the dispensing office the medical officer saw an elderly
man, above sixty years old, a typical villager modestly dressed
with clean clothes and was struck by his looks. He appeared to
be "écrasé par le poids de la souffrance".
Very humbly he repeated his request, no not a request but he begged
for one single small syringe. We were perplexed, so advising the
other members of the staff to withhold their intervention in the
matter we went out to talk to him. We reassured him of our help
in whatever problem he could be, but before we needed to be enlightened
about the use of the syringe. We learnt from him that his wife
was unwell, completely bedridden at his place and could not be
brought to the dispensary or to any other health care site. Few
weeks ago he called a private medical practitioner for a home
visit. The latter after examining her prescribed an injection.
The villager bought the prescribed injection and syringe, the
medical officer called back in the afternoon and did the treatment.
His wife got better for short while, relapsed often, at each relapse
he, the husband did the same injection with a ten rupee syringe
which he could get off official prescription from the pharmacy
down the main village ; effectively the wife's condition would
improve. He took out from his pocket a crumpled piece of paper,
torn from an old school note book where he had carefully written
down the name of the medication. We were shocked. He maintained
that was personally doing the injection as he could not get somebody
qualified even against payment to come to his place. He had several
very close relatives of all age groups, literate, active members
of the society, well to do relations some housewives and others
all sharing the same yard as him but he was very much isolated
in the care of his wife. To our queries about how he proceeded
he replied that he had carefully observed the doctor and was using
same method. The pharmacy was now refusing to sell to him the
much needed syringe, though has sold to him the drug for Rs 165.
He repeated his plea. We never felt so sore. We had in front of
us a seventy-four year old man, a field worker, a labourer who
all his life had been handling agricultural tools of all sorts
from hoe to sabre to sickle etc. in the sugar cane fields, in
the vegetable plantations, had financially secured all his children
with advanced schooling, better occupation than being a labourer
according to him, a plot of land with a house on it for each of
them neighboring his own, yet at this age he was shouldering another
responsibility in life singlehanded and "par les circonstances"
doing a health procedure which needed at least a basic knowhow
and dexterity otherwise could be quite dangerous. We reiterated
our support and fixed an appointment.
After quite a tortuous drive almost to the flank of the hill we
reached his residence at about two in the afternoon. In a low
concrete room with a single window without curtains lying on the
bed, on a bare foam mattress without the cloth cover on was the
wife, an elderly lady, all wrinkles, skin and bones, all limbs
retracted in the foetal position and multi skin injuries. She
was as pale as a sheet, conscious but totally cut off from the
world, she was in a very bad shape. Pending her immediate transfer
to the main hospital with the full agreement of the husband we
asked him to have at least the mattress covered with a bed cloth
to relieve some of the discomfort to the patient. He replied that
as he was doing the kitchenwork as well as washing the clothes
himself he had to make an economical use of linen. The patient
was very well attended to at the hospital but did not survive
long. She passed away in a better dignified manner. Allowing time
for the funeral rites to be over we called at the villager's place
on two occasions, the house was always closed, we heard that he
was staying with one of his sons. We felt reassured that he was
being cared for, and concluded that most likely our home visit
had triggered a sense of responsibility somewhere. Some days later
one of his relatives called at the community health center for
some other matter, coincidently told us that soon after the old
lady's demise the villager had a cerebrovascular accident, an
attack, he was admitted first to the government hospital, then
they shifted him to a private health institution despite which
he did not make it. She related to us how they all took very good
care of him. We only listened and thought "if only the
same kind of attention could have been given to the old man's
most precious belonging who he was struggling to keep alive as
long as possible at all costs : his wife."
Dr Mala Modun-Bissessur
MEDICAL NEGLIGENCE
How far can you trust your doctor ?
If you think that medical negligence happens only in Mauritius
because this is a third-world country, please hold your breath
and think over what follows from Docteur, est-ce une erreur
? by Jean Claude Duluc, published by Editions Filipacchi in
1992. The chapter headings are reproduced here as they appear
in the book. The cases take place in… France.
" La chirurgie le mutile à tout jamais et la justice
le ruine. " Mohamed, from Morocco, arrives in France
in 1972 for facial surgery following a bad fall on fine gravels
and sustaining a serious injury in the face. A first intervention
will give nothing. Others will follow. Up to seven. The succession
of operations and the lancets of the doctors will worsen his case.
He is ruined facially and financially, apart from being left a
nervous wreck.
" Une jeune fille de dix-neuf ans avale sa langue après
une opération des dents. Un simple geste aurait pu la sauver.
Personne n'était là. " The operation itself
went on well but post-operation negligence on the part of a "
simple aide soignante " and the failure of the anaesthetist
to give her precise instructions before leaving the ward, will
cause the girl's death.
" Une prothèse dentaire mal conçue devient
un instrument de torture. Le client refuse de payer. Son dentiste
le traîne en Cour de cassation. " The tribulation
of a patient who is compelled to contact another dentist to correct
the first dental prosthesis, besides having to face legal hassles.
" Opéré d'un ulcère à l'intestin,
il se réveille les bras paralysés. "
" Le radiologue ne s'informe pas des contre-indications
de l'intervention qu'il va pratiquer. Sa cliente reste paralysée.
"
" La naissance de Gaëlle, mongolienne, est due à
une erreur dans les résultats d'analyse. "
" En commentant trois graves erreurs en une seule nuit,
la sage-femme provoque la mort d'une jeune mère de famille.
"
" L'échec d'une interruption de grossesse oblige
une jeune Française à se faire opérer à
Londres. Le médecin avait choisi une méthode risquée.
"
" Une jeune Italienne vient se faire avorter en France.
L'intervention rate. Les médecins ne sont pas responsables
de l'échec. La patiente était hors-la-loi. "
" La compresse oubliée "
" Des médecins confondent la compresse oubliée
dans le vente d'une femme avec un cancer. " During an
operation on a patient, the surgeon, having detected the presence
of " un bloc collé à la vessie " demands
an analysis. This will be diagnosed as " une récidive
du cancer ". After seven lengthy years of atrocious suffering,
a scanner examination will reveal a foreign body in her bladder.
It is, exactly, " des restes calcifiés d'une compresse
chirurgicale oubliée lors d'une précédente
opération ". Unbelievable, isn't it ?
A patient is admitted to a hospital in 1983 for an operation.
This is about implanting pieces of metal in his vertebral column
in order to straighten it. The patient will come out with neurological
troubles and paralysis. He is a victime of " une nouvelle
technique ".
" Un flaçon de sang périmé provoque
une catastrophe. Il suffisait de lire l'étiquette. "
A blood transfusion that goes wrong as a result of overlooking
a simple detail - one of the phials of blood was contaminated.
Just one moment of vigilance and the patient would have been spared
unnecessary trouble.
" Personne ne s'est soucié des allergies de Cédric.
A douze ans, il meurt pour une banale appendicite. "
It is the story of a boy, 12 years old, who will fall into a coma
and eventually die for having been administered medicines that
will provoke a serious allergy.
" L'anesthésiste quitte le bloc opératoire
et laisse Gilles, quatorze ans, sans surveillance ". A
doctor leaves his patient on the operation table at a crucial
moment to visit another patient of his forty-five metres away.
This will spell disaster.
" Le chirurgien a interdit qu'on le dérange même
pour une urgence. Un règlement stupide qui va tuer Nicole,
une enfant de quatre ans. "
From another source, we learn that in the US, an estimated 44,000
to 98,000 people die in hospitals each year because of preventable
medical errors. In Germany, between 8,000 and 16,000 patients
die annually because they are administered wrong medication or
the right medication in the wrong amount. There have been cases
of people committing suicide because they were told that they
were suffering from HIV/AIDS when, in fact, never were they infected.
Doctors, and those involved in one way or another in matters of
medicine, must realise that patients are totally dependent on
them to gain back their health. They are, therefore, duty-bound
to be responsible at all times. It is not a question of just a
patient losing his life due to medical negligence or medical error.
Indeed, the death leaves many more people devastated for a lifetime.
Suresh Ramphul
MBC-TV
Faute de mieux ?
Ceux qui tirent les ficelles à la MBC. Tv soutiennent que
91% des personnes sont satisfaites des prestations de la Mauritius
Broadcasting Corporation (MBC).
L'objectif fixé pour notre télé publique
est de " provide independent and impartial broadcasting
services of information ".
Quelques interrogations : la MBC-Tv, de par sa culture de "parti
sonnerie" et de "paillasson", n'est-elle pas devenue
un outil de propagande pour le pouvoir en place ?
Les faits sont têtus. En équation avec sa stratégie
légendaire, tant vis-à-vis de sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam,
de sir Anerood Jugnauth, de Paul Bérenger ou de Navin Ramgoolam,
la MBC-Tv, jure une allégeance indéfectible au PM
en place.
Pourquoi l'ancien PM, Paul Bérenger, tempête-t-il
contre le mauvais traitement que lui accorde, ces derniers temps
la MBC-Tv ? Le leader de l'Opposition aurait-il la mémoire
courte ? De 2003 à 2005, n'avait-il pas été
gratifié d'un traitement princier par cette même
caisse à propagande gouvernementale ?
Faute de mieux, dit-on, on embrasse sa femme. Faute de mieux,
impassibles et sans sourciller, les téléspectateurs
payants sont contraints de se contenter de la One & only
MBC-Tv ?
Amar Ramdin
LICENCE
To drive and to kill
At eighteen our young men and women can go to the polls, choose
their Prime Minister or even run for the post ; they can join
the armed forces and handle guns (and roses, too).
Now they are facing hard-edged judgment : after successfully going
through the grueling and archaic tests like reverse parking through
intimidating nerve racking trees that seem to have been intentionally
transplanted from the rainforests, they won't be fully fledged
drivers. They will have to sweat another two years on probation
and if involved in any road accidents, they will be done. Licence
to drive would be withdrawn.
Do we have statistics showing that it's the young or new drivers
are killer drivers ?
Let's not push the youths to fringes with palliative actions.
They would be swelling the ranks of cults like neo-Manson cults
which are not confined only to the West, Manchester in particular.
With rigid rules and harsh judgements our Guns N'Roses and Helter
Skelter loving youths would be swelling their ranks.
Dharumvir Takoor
previrtakoor@intnet.mu
24/7
Contradictions et perplexité
C'est avec un peu de scepticisme que mes collègues marchands
et moi avons accueilli le Festival 24/7.
Où veulent en venir les promoteurs de cet événement
?
Le Chairman du corps paraétatique HRDC a lui-même
avoué qu'il était dans les affaires. Cela ne surprendrait
donc personne que sa philosophie soit dans la lignée du
Putting our people first. Imposant un système 24/7
à autrui afin de consolider ses propres assises - c'est
là toute l'idéologie du régime en place.
Autre exemple de controverse : la mairie de Port-Louis veut bannir
les marchands de fruits et de légumes des rues de la capitale
sous prétexte que ces commerces ambulants ne sont pas conformes
à l'hygiène publique. Paradoxalement, elle a également
recommandé au public de venir se restaurer en plein rue
pendant le festival 24/7.
Où sont donc parties ces fameuses normes hygiéniques
?
N'y a-t-il pas là anguille sous roche ?
Sidick
HONNEUR
Abdool Jalil Abdool Haye Ahmadi fait PMSM
C'est avec le plus grand plaisir que nous avons appris que ce
vrai Mauricien qu'est Abdool Jalil Ahmadi a été
décoré par la République.
Nous nous souvenons encore de cette émission qu'a passée
la MBC le 5 octobre 2005, intitulée Un homme, une traversée,
dans laquelle Jalil Ahmadi retrace son passé et ses connaissances
sur la vie à Maurice - avec des évocations émues
des salles de cinéma de Port-Louis : Rex, Opera House,
le nouveau Luna Park (malheureusement rasé depuis), le
Cinéma des Familles, dont les vestiges sont toujours visibles
à la rue Mère-Barthélémy.
Puisse la MBC repasser cette émission.
Nous voudrions féliciter Bhai Jalil pour la décoration
- le President's Meritorious Service Medal - qui lui a été
remise le 23 juillet dernier.
AM
ÉCONOMIE
24/7 et heure d'été
Jeudi dernier, vers 21h15, je me suis retrouvé par le plus
pur des hasards à la Place du Quai. Devinez quoi…
Les lampes pour égayer le 24/7 étaient encore allumées…
Cela valait bien la peine de nous emmerder avec l'heure d'été
pendant 5 mois pour voir ainsi gaspiller l'énergie.
Ce qui est encore plus énervant dans toute cette affaire,
c'est que ceux qui détiennent le pouvoir semblent nous
prendre vraiment pour des imbéciles.
Remarquez, ils ont peut-être raison à ce propos,
vu le manque de réaction du peuple, qui se contente du
pain et des jeux.
JL