Bernard Hurtault
Political leader
Dominica Freedom Party
The Dominica Freedom Party (DFP), on behalf of the Dominican people, vehemently insists
on an immediate and thorough investigation into the deplorable state of healthcare in
Dominica. The current administration is systematically depriving Dominicans of their
fundamental human right to health through a dangerous combination of financial insolvency, arrogance, indifference, and sheer incompetence.
The following alarming statistics unequivocally substantiate the severity of the situation:
Infant mortality in Dominica has surged to a fifty-year high, inflicting immeasurable pain
and sorrow upon numerous new mothers. All the strides made in reducing infant mortality
since the 1970s have been tragically erased under the governance of the current
administration.
This alarming statistic not only reflects a distressing level of infant mortality
but also stands as a damning indictment of the broader state of the primary healthcare
system. The lack of effective nutritional programs, sufficient prenatal care, and early
identification of pregnancy risk factors highlights the systemic disarray within the primary
healthcare infrastructure. Equally disconcerting is the alarming surge in cancer cases within our population. Astonishingly, there has been a glaring lack of investigations into potential triggers behind this surge.
The government’s apathy towards understanding and addressing the root causes of the escalating cancer crisis, particularly its impact on young women, is both callous and inexplicable. The absence of such a comprehensive health investigation compounds the suffering caused by cancer, leading to premature deaths.
In recent days, a critical report has highlighted an unprecedented shortage of medical supplies, reaching an unimaginable new low. Shockingly, even essential items such as anesthesia and surgical needles, crucial for preventing excruciating pain during surgery, are
unavailable due to logistical mismanagement, oversight negligence, and financial
difficulties.
Furthermore, the government displays a complete lack of interest in measuring and
reporting the health outcomes of the national hospital, hindering accountability. Basic
information such as mortality rates compared to global best practices or the frequency of
preventable medical errors leading to death remains undisclosed.
This significant gap raises speculation that this deliberate withholding of data is an attempt to conceal the dismal performance outcomes of Dominica’s healthcare system. The breakdown in our health system is not an isolated issue; instead, it symbolizes a broader failure in fundamental governance. Our judicial system permits accused murderers to go free due to delayed and ineffective prosecution.
The process of obtaining land titles spans years rather than weeks, and our education system falls short of producing the human capital needed for 21st-century jobs. Meanwhile, our food spoils in refrigerators because the government cannot even keep the lights on. As well, the government neglects its responsibility to cover the tuition of students studying abroad, resulting in stress and dropouts.
Even the honor of hosting a World Cup cricket match is brought to ruin due to financial insolvency and organizational incompetence. It is now alarmingly clear that this government’s singular, self-serving focus on passport money and votes is leading to the literal demise of many of our citizens.
Moreover, when those in power become afflicted with illness, they resort to seeking medical care abroad, driven by sheer dread at the prospect of relying on the healthcare system they have constructed for the rest of us. This callous disregard for our well-being and poor governance in all spheres is morally reprehensible and a total dereliction of duty. As a country, we can no longer take this abuse. Death in our land is no longer a metaphor – it is genuine now.