Disclaimer: The views, and claims, expressed in this letter are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of Duravision Inc., Dominica News Online, or any of its subsidiary brands.
Why is it so difficult to get a response from a Ministry which, more than most, should have a sense of timeliness, if not urgency?
This week, we are celebrating Dr. Carissa Etienne, a Dominican whose success as a health professional took her to the highest health managerial role in our region, Director of the Pan American Health Organization.
She steered that office to leverage significant attention to the Caribbean, arguably more so than any of her predecessors. She is the only Director in the history of PAHO to have been returned unanimously for a second term.
What would she think of the Ministry she knew so well?
The Ministry is facing a constitutional challenge to the abortion law. If the High Court finds the law unconstitutional, the Ministry will be obliged to care for patients. This will involve being respectful of patients’ rights and staff members’ rights alike.
We should not underestimate the magnitude of this moment. The Court can change the law; but the Ministry will be up against a far greater challenge: confronting and transforming the great stigmatization of abortion. That means facing the main agent of this unkindness, the church. Politicians fear the church.
Providing an abortion service will be a contentious matter demanding sensitive regard for values on all sides. Mindful of the enormity of this challenge, we have offered to share our research findings with leaders in MOHWSS so we can begin this discussion. Our offers have gone unanswered for years.
Without preparation, once the court declares its decision, the Ministry will be caught flat-footed and unprepared.
On a different front, we also asked the Ministry to address the plight of adolescent reproductive health. Dominica’s adolescent fertility is above the Caribbean average. We asked them to consider simple actions taken in five other Caribbean countries. And again, we have had no response. Not even the courtesy of an acknowledgment.
We truly hope that everyone else is hearing from MOHWSS in a timely manner. It would be very sad indeed if our experience of unresponsiveness was typical of what we once called the public ‘service’.
This culture of indifference and insensitivity is not the environment in which Dr. Carissa Etienne was nurtured.
Sincerely,
ASPIRE
ASPIRE is a pro-motherhood, pro-family, pro-choice, non-governmental advocacy group registered in Dominica and five other Caribbean countries. It promotes research and dialogue with civil society and governments to advance fairness and justice in reproductive health.
We are GROWING our population, increasing our numbers. We have our own taboos like your country certainly does and we do not deliberately place abortion centers strictly within reach of our poorer communities. Besides, both sides affect many many lives. Very poor try to over-saturate our beloved media outlets with your conniving shenanigans into our internal affairs. We know where you’re going with this. gtfooh.
Abortion is a right, you are talking about a woman’s choice, when she is the one knowing what she’s carrying inside, it’s her body, she decides.
Should be cared and payed by the Minister.
Same with contraception.
And stop making children unconsciously – take care of the children you already have!
You disregard the very core of family.
What are these groups of people living together, a woman with multiple children from multiple men, while having another boyfriend outside the ones she’s living with;
And you call that family?! More children, with more men?!
Those children grow up believing that they’re living in a normal family, they will perpetuate the same dysfunctional pattern they grew up with.
Stop it, that is surrogacy as a way of living – stop it!
A family is a man and a woman (ideally married), with or without children!
That’s the nucleus of a family: one man, one woman!
You protect that nucleus!
By Law!