Glad to be back home

LA Horquetta/Talparo MP Maxie Cuffie is thanking God for his health and being able to return home. Cuffie suffered a stroke last September and after undergoing treatment at St Clair Medical Centre that month, he was flown by air ambulance to a hospital in Washington DC where he was recuperating.

Cuffie, who is also Minister in the Public Administration Ministry, and his wife Hermia, returned to TT at 10 pm on Thursday, their flight landing at Piarco International Airport. "I feel great to enjoy the majesty of God," Cuffie said.

Saying he will speak with Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on when he is ready to resume duties, Cuffie said, "I am not focusing on work right now. I am taking things one day at a time. My focus right now is my health and getting back to full strength."

Cuffie explained, "The fact is that recuperation is not something which one starts one day and ends another day. It's a process of getting back to good health." He reiterated that he has never stopped looking after his constituency and even while recuperating, Cuffie said he was able to monitor events in La Horquetta/Talparo as his constituency staff was in constant contact with him.

Labour Minister Jennifer Baptiste-Primus said, "Maxie is back and looking good. We praise God for His healing grace." PNM chairman Franklin Khan said, "I am extremely pleased to see him. Everybody in the PNM is and the whole nation should also be." Khan added, "We continue to pray for his full recovery and I ask the nation to respect his right of privacy."

Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal was on the same flight with Cuffie on Thursday. "I wished him well. He was lucid and in good humour. He was happy to be home," Moonilal said. Pointe-a-Pierre MP David Lee said, "I am happy to see MP Cuffie back home and look forward to conversing with him as a Member of Parliament."

St Augustine MP Prakash Ramadhar said, "I think we are all very grateful that he has been given the grace to carry on. God bless." Opposition senator Khadijah Ameen, said, "I wish him continued improvement to his health."

In February, Rowley said total expenditure for Cuffie's medical bills was just over $2 million. A sum of $980,263.39 was paid to St Clair Medical for Cuffie's stay there. Government also paid $46,000 for the air ambulance to take Cuffie to the US and US$171,000 for his recovery programme.

Communications Minister Stuart Young has said claims by former minister Devant Maharaj about Cuffie's medical bills were baseless. Cuffie was recently granted leave from the House for this entire month. The House sits on Monday from 1.30 pm to debate a motion to approve the nomination of Gary Griffith to be appointed Commissioner of Police.