#BTEditorial – Public health first, politics later

It would be outrageous to suggest that the Mia Mottley administration has done a less than praiseworthy job in handling the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis in Barbados. The number of accolades on the local, regional and international fronts for her hands-on, empathetic approach speaks volumes.

Unquestionably, we got what we pay taxes and cast ballots for.

This global pandemic has required the fortitude that comes with strong leadership, the guts to take decisive steps that may offend some, and the humility to accept that mistakes will be made that obviously call for corrective action.

We accept that this is a new paradigm that has left many political leaders learning on the job. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has endured the painful realism of his own action or lack thereof.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) since 1948 has been in the business of providing global leadership in the fight against cross border health challenges, ensuring they do not engulf so many countries that health outbreaks become so fierce they undermine global stability.

Unfortunately, the WHO has been in a battle to save its credibility, facing a barrage of attacks and even defunding by one of its key benefactors, the US. Some of the criticism has been justified but much of it we argue is mere cover to redirect the glare of attention from the Americans’ own questionable handling of the COVID-19 crisis.

No one can deny that the WHO and its regional agency, the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), have been alerting us to the seriousness of this disease, which had its genesis in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

Aside from the grandstanding of an American president who is cobbling together an apparent flailing plan to get himself housing for another four years at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the rest of the world still continues to rally behind the WHO, faults and all.

We certainly have taken no pleasure in critiquing any other country’s efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19. For us in this region, it would be folly to throw stones at anyone’s house, while ours is far from secure. What we can do, is highlight the missteps of our powerful neighbour to the North, and endeavour not to repeat them here.

It is for this reason that we ask our Government to resist the urge to turn the pandemic public information sessions into political sideshows. It is our unambiguous position that at every news conference to update Barbadians on the state of our response to the disease the public professionals must be present to respond competently to medical questions.

COVID-19, though it is wreaking havoc on the economic stability of countries, households and individuals, remains first and foremost, a health crisis. We are dismayed that at their latest press briefing, only the Minister of Health and Wellness Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic and Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Cynthia Forde were present, unable to respond to searching questions that ought to be answered by the Government’s medical professionals.

There are still questions regarding the threat of community spread of the disease in Barbados. We need to hear from the medical professionals their opinions on the impact of reopening the economy while still trying to respond to the pandemic.

Of the more than 2,000 COVID-19 tests undertaken, how many of these were second tests of people who already had the disease, and how many are new people in the population are being tested?

Then there is the issue of testing in the Caribbean and especially here of COVID-19 vaccine trials. We accept that statistics are damned little things that they can be used to tell whatever version of the story you wish to hear. So we need to have all the unvarnished, straightforward facts. All.

As we follow the tragic display from another politician who thought he knew more than the medical experts, we urge our politicians here to let the science and scientists give us their opinions, whether we like what they have to say or not.