Trin | Surviving life in Trinidad and Tobago

"Imaginary" Dengue outbreak in Trinidad

With a straight face, Finance Minister Karen Nunez-Tesheira at the start of her Budget presentation said, “Our vision commits us to the nurturing of a caring society.”

The response of Opposition MP Kamla Persad-Bissessar better reflected the expenditure patterns of the Government: “The Prime Minister and his government have clearly shown that they subscribe to the view, ‘Keep them poor, keep them ignorant, keep them in fear.” - Trinidad Newsday September 30th, 2008.

There has been extensive flooding recently in Diego Martin, Port of Spain, Cascade and other areas in North Trinidad. This week commuters in Port of Spain recounted being scared and shocked at the way people cursed and threatened one another to grab a bus ride out of the flooded city. We have been reduced to living like savages, threatening one another to obtain a basic reliable ride home without fear, no matter the weather.

I wonder if the Ministry of Health has clued in to the connection between rain, flooding, large pools of water, mosquito breeding grounds or Dengue Fever. I haven’t heard of any announcements that the Ministry plans to increase the frequency of spraying mosquitoes given all the rain. Is this because Health Minister Jerry Narace still believes that there are no dengue cases in Trinidad and Tobago? What exactly is Jerry Narace doing everyday? Does he even work? Three months ago Narace informed the nation that there were no "confirmed deaths" from dengue after the death of eight year old Sasha Bickram.

By September there were numerous deaths and reported cases of dengue. At a Ministry of Health function at the Hyatt on September 20th 2008 Narace was asked to comment on the dengue issue. As expected he gave the generic "updates will be coming" response and then asked with a smile if we shouldn't be "speculating on what is in the budget" instead. Pardon me while I say what the fuck does an  outbreak of dengue have to do with speculating about the budget?

Narace is close to Prime Minister Patrick manning and is also the Public Relations Officer of the PNM. The Integrity Commission has launched an investigation into the dealings of Minister Narace based on a complaint from Caroni East MP Dr. Tim Gopeesingh, who claims that Narace’s family's business has been receiving state contracts. In September Gopeesingh told Parliament Narace and his family were receiving million-dollar contracts from State bodies through the family company, Reinsurance Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (Trinre).

"I received a letter today indicating that the commission was grateful for the information I provided to them. They had written asking for further information which I also provided and they indicated they are investigating the matter," Gopeesingh said. HotLikePepperRadio December 4th,2008.

Children, adults and senior citizens are dying from dengue, no preventative measures are being taken to deal with the flooding, much less the increased mosquito breeding from flooding and Minister Narace is smiling and dismissing a very serious question.

Tell us, Karen Nunez-Tesheira, Jerry Narace and Patrick Manning, are exhausted people resorting to threats of violence to escape a sinking city or Trinbagonians dying from an imaginary dengue outbreak part of your vacuous plan of action for "nurturing a caring society"?

Chaos! Floods leave thousands stranded!

Chaos as highway floods Motorists stranded as river breaks its banks - BY RADHICA SOOKRAJ

Flood waters rose on the Solomon Hochoy Highway yesterday, covering cars and trapping motorists as mounds of debris, propelled by swirling floods, swept across both carriageways, creating a massive traffic gridlock.

The Macaulay River burst its banks and motorists were forced to abandon their cars and run for their lives as the waters rose on both lanes. For more than five hours, traffic backed up from San Fernando to the Claxton Bay Flyover on the south lane and Chaguanas to Claxton Bay on the north lane.

A 60-seater PTSC bus, driven by Motilal Arjoon, remained trapped in the waters, while passengers hurriedly evacuated and ran towards higher ground.

Speaking to reporters after the floods, Arjoon said, “Within 15 minutes, everything was under floods. We had ten cars here that were covered with water. I had to call the office and they tell me to cut off the engine. The water rose inside right up to the driving compartment. I had no choice but to abandon the bus.”

Five-year-old Antonia Bruiser and her three-year-old sister started to cry when the floods rose.
Bruiser said, “The flood came and filled up the whole car. I thought I was going to die.”
-An excerpt from August 28th, 2008, Trinidad Guardian.

Our poor suffering citizens were stranded by floods at the end of a hard workday this week. Can someone remind me who it is give the Trinidad and Tobago government permission to spend $6.5 Million dollars of our money every month building an airport for St. Vincent instead of fixing our flooding problems?