Trini in China not on database

HOLED up in her apartment in Shenzheng city while the coronavirus rages across China, Trinidadian schoolteacher Shilohna Phillanders revealed how she came to be overlooked by the TT embassy in Beijing, by being inadvertently omitted from their database. Having left Wuhan city weeks ago under her own steam, on Wednesday she had complained of the mission’s claim that they had checked up on two TT nationals in that area to offer help.

In an update on social media on Thursday, Phillanders said that after TT media had picked up on her initial complaint she had been phoned by two people linked to the embassy.

“However what again raised red flags was when I was informed that though they did in fact receive and confirm receipt of my information, I was never added to the database. Imagine my annoyance on hearing this.

“So I have been in China almost a year and the Embassy has never corresponded with me because, for reasons unknown, my information was never added to their database.”

Phillanders said while the two individuals asked of her well-being, neither seemed to take ownership for the apparent shortcoming.

“Am I the first person this has happened to? Are there others like me who are also in China but for whatever reason have been omitted from the database?

“Can I trust my welfare while here? I am beyond disappointed in my embassy. Is this what we have to show for ourselves as a people? Is our customer service indeed so lax that as a nation, even when operating outside our borders that we still perpetuate this poor service that seems to be synonymous with our culture as a nation?”