A Nigerian doctor’s appeal

THE EDITOR: As a way of providing opportunity for recently minted local doctors/nurses, the Regional Health Authorities (starting with Tobago, then spreading through NCRHA to the ERHA), in cahoots with the Ministry of National Security, have moved to clean out non-resident health workers from within its ranks. The game plan is simple. Hospitals will not issue contracts to non-resident foreign nationals, while national security prolongs the process ad infinitum.

I make common cause with the authorities here, even if only to an extent. My political conviction is based on the premise that the core duty of any government is to cater to the welfare of its citizens. This is coming from a Nigerian doctor who is soon to be out of contract pending the issuance of an elusive work permit exemption of permanent residence certificate.

As proof that I do not merely offer sound-bites, let me say this– I support the 45th POTUS. One does not admit to the foregoing if one’s convictions run shallow, and my social media activities serve to prove my claim. Trump’s crime is that he is a fierce nationalist (ie he puts his compatriots before all else) at a time when globalism is gospel and ‘populism’ is anathema.

Unfortunately there are tragic developments from this unfolding drama that I feel compelled to point out. Uprooting individuals who have given years and years of service (and have burnt bridges in their home countries by so doing) reeks of unfairness. It is one thing that the hospitals do not want to renew contracts, that is understandable given the circumstances. It is another matter altogether that work permit exemptions have been under ‘judicial review’ since the beginning of the year, making it impossible for affected individuals and their families to feed.

In my case, my wife is a local, and we have a two-year-old boy, with a girl due to follow in February 2018. It is a disgrace that no one has any qualms transferring animus designed for me onto them. They are apparently being made to suffer for the mistake of being connected to me. There is, for example, little concern that my wife will be consigned to the social waste-paper basket category of single motherhood should I leave as this policy drive intends. Neither is there any thought spared for my little boy or his soon to-be-born sister who will not know their father were I to self-deport. I will spare the reader the grim statistics that surround kids from single parent households. Even doubly tragic is that my help is not really needed to point out these concerns – no one just seems to care what the consequences are.

I do not intend to curry anyone’s sympathy, pity party not quite being my currency. My people say that the mother hen whose chick has been swooped on by hawk does not weep in order to soften the hawk’s heart; she does so simply in order that her protest goes on record.

I am crying out on behalf of my family and those like me whose welfare concerns have been overlooked in favour of more important citizens. It is a shame, and I feel duty bound to point out this blight on the national conscience of this beautiful twin-island republic.

May I end this offering by making an appeal to the relevant authorities: do not cut your nose to spite your face; do not destroy your own simply because of their ties to foreign elements. To the ordinary Trinbagonian who may be thumbing his nose at this plea, consider this for a moment. It is my wife and children who are consumed today. For your sake I hope it is not you on the receiving end of reckless policy tomorrow. And so I end my case.

DR CHETANNA KALU NWOKE, Arima