Letters to the Editor: letters@fijitimes.com.fj
Old is gold
THE often quoted rhetoric of being an old politician in our news media by a certain section of the community should now be put to rest.
This is in the wake of a recent development and wisdom of an old politician like NZ Minister for Foreign Affairs, Murray McCully making some sound judgments in the wider interest of the Fijian community.
I only hope that this rhetoric will be totally erased from the minds of our voters thus enabling them to vote for candidates who are mature and full of wisdom for the future wellbeing of all the people of Fiji.
VISHWA NADAN
Lautoka
Crop compensation
Sukha Singh, I refer to your letter titled Prompt reply published in The Fiji Times, Letters to the Editor on Friday April 11, 2014.
Being a former FEA staff member based in Labasa for over 20 years, I am sure you are well versed with the risks posed by trees to powerlines and with the crop compensation process.
In this instance, a coconut tree had to be removed from the path of the power lines and this was discussed with you.
Because of your refusal to have this tree removed, we have had to seek the assistance of the Commissioner Northern.
Upon removal of this tree, our project engineer had requested for you to sign off on our crop compensation book in order for FEA to compensate you for the coconut tree.
Your reply to him was, “that you are going to come and sign when you want to”.
Please let the FEA office in Labasa know when you are available to sign the crop compensation form so that the matter could be brought to a close.
Hasmukh Patel
Chief Executive Officer FEA
Open gate
I refer to a letter published in The Fiji Times on Friday April 11, 2014, titled Meter reading by Anthony Sahai and would like to clarify some of the issues raised.
Mr Sahai, you have confirmed in your letter, that the post-paid FEA account is not registered under your name but instead in the name of your landlord.
From the information provided by you via email, we have established that this account is registered under a Lemeki Mateyawa of 18 Tuirara Subdivision, Makoi, Nasinu.
If this is the account that you are using for your electricity consumption, then please be advised that our last reading of this meter in question was on December, 23, 2013.
We have not been able to read this meter since January, 2014 to our last billing in March, 2014.
Mr Sahai, you have stated in your letter that you are also a prepaid customer of FEA in Levuka.
Our records indicate that you don’t have a prepaid account under your name in Levuka.
Nevertheless, please be advised that there is no need for FEA to read meters pertaining to prepaid customers.
Hence, the question of locked gates does not arise.
Mr Sahai, we need to access the FEA postpaid meters on a monthly basis to provide accurate bills to our customers.
In the event, we are not able to read the meter, we have no option but to estimate the customer’s bill for that particular month and a friendly reminder is sent to the customer in this regard.
Our estimate is based on the past six month’s average usage.
This may not be a correct estimate if the consumption has dropped in the current month.
This can lead to a higher bill and unnecessary billing query.
Mr Sahai, finally for your information, one of our meter attendants visited your residence in Makoi today (Friday April 11, 2014) and to our utmost happiness found the gate open.
As a result, we were able to take your actual meter reading today.
Should you have any further queries, you are welcome to visit our Customer Care Centre in Suva.
Hasmukh Patel
Chief Executive Officer FEA
Different approach
HATS off to the police officer who has been directing traffic at the Nabua roundabout for the past few days.
The noticeable difference in his method of directing traffic is that equal chance is given to vehicles from Mead Rd and Jerusalem Rd instead of just focusing on the Suva bound Kings Rd traffic.
This in fact reduced the traffic pileup along the Nokonoko/Dovi back roads and Regent side of Jerusalem Rd.
As a result of this different approach in directing traffic, regular travellers along this route would have noticed not only the smooth traffic flow but a lower fuel consumption, less frustration and timely arrivals at workplaces throughout the week.
Please keep it that way!
ILIAAZ MOHAMMED
Laucala Beach
Locked gates and meters
THE matter of reading meters when gates are locked has arisen.
The same problem exists here in the US. However, meter readers are very clever at dealing with it.
In areas where meters are not equipped with transmitters to transmit the reading to the meter reader’s truck, the meter readers carry little telescopes to permit them to read meters from a considerable distance.
My electric meter is not accessible, so the meter reader uses his little telescope to read it from the house next door.
No problem.
FRANK EGGERS
Albuquerque
US
High prices
I refer to Mereseini N Taukave’s letter High Prices (The Fiji Times 10/04/14).
We are aware of how consumers are paying excessively high prices for certain items sold in the shops/canteens in the remote rural areas and maritime provinces around the country.
Like Ms Taukave and many other consumers, the prices charged may look unreasonable but the reality is that not all goods are under price control. Prices of all items including those under price control differ from urban to rural and remote areas because of factors such as transport costs and freight charges.
Consumers must take note that price regulation falls under the ambit of the Fiji Commerce Commission and they can refer to the commission for information on regulated industries and up-to-date price list for various goods and services. The council is also working on setting up a Community Consumer Advisory Group (CCAG) to address consumer issues and concerns in remote rural and outer islands.
These groups will keep a tab on traders who are abusing the vulnerable consumers where the council is not able to monitor these unscrupulous traders.
CCAG will act as our eyes and ears on the ground, keeping us informed of any unfair trade practice.
The council would like to remind consumers that it takes evidence-based approach to resolve consumer complaints.
Therefore, we request consumers to hold on to receipts if they wish to lodge complaints and seek redress against unfair market practices. Consumers can also report retailers who are overcharging on price controlled goods.
Bindula Prasad
Officer-In-Charge
Consumer Council of Fiji
Painful experience
THE Fiji Times article (10/04) couldn’t have been titled any better.
One can’t even begin to imagine the sort of physical and mental trauma Ms Farina Nisha suffered during her ordeal at the CWM Hospital.
The heartache that Ms Nisha must have felt when her newborn child fell to the floor rather than the warmth of a caring arm is something that no one can claim to understand but Ms Nisha herself.
And if that wasn’t enough, she was abandoned on the hospital floor without a care let alone any news on the condition of her newborn child.
Fortunately both Ms Nisha and her child survived the ordeal, but of course not without implications that the child is not well.
God forbid something happens to the poor child, who will take responsibility for it?
It’s no revelation that our hospitals are shortstaffed and employees work under constant strains with inadequate facilities but there can be no justification for inhumanity.
I urge the Health Ministry to identify the culprits and expel them from the fraternity.
Such acts should not be tolerated and will not be tolerated.
To Ms Nisha and her family, I encourage you to stay strong and know that your fight for justice is not just yours anymore.
Shakeel Datt
Nasinu
Dengue fight
HERE’S an idea. Crazy but should be effective to a certain degree.
Create home-made or manufacture innovative inventions, specifically designed to lure breeding mosquitoes to lay their offspring.
Example fill containers, buckets, etc with water, to a desired practical level.
Equip them with heat and animal proof coverings, to make water stagnant. A camouflaged one would be best suitable to blend in. Place them in all hot spots.
Repeat process, after draining water out on a required, regular basis advised by the experts.
This would reduce mosquito numbers to a minimal, and thus help with combating the rise in our dengue figures.
KENNETH SOLVALU
Lami
How shameful
Heartiest congratulations Amicale for 6-nil drubbing.
For my home team. How embarrassing. How shameful.
Two red cards must be history in the making. We copped three red cards in two matches.
E sa lia na madua levu saraga.
I am too shamed.
Ronnie CHANG
Nadi
OFC play-off
IT was shocking to see Samuela Drudru break the leg of the Auckland City player in Nadi’s first match in the OFC playoffs.
So far in the National League Soccer, Drudru was being hailed as the best striker in the country and that was the reason Nadi team needed his services for the OFC play-off.
What better time would this have been for him to display his abilities as a good striker and maybe secure a contract offshore, and maybe follow the path of Fiji’s golden boy Roy Krishna.
Nadi paid so much to get him from Suva to be part of the OFC play-off, Oceania’s premium football event.
Acts such as those should get him suspended from football for about two years.
Lucky enough for Jone Salauneune to not being flashed his second yellow card, otherwise he would have been off the field too.
These players are supposed to score goals and make names, but they are doing the opposite and making headlines for the wrong reasons.
I think it is necessary players go through the counselling process when taking part in these big tournaments and games as at the end of it all they stand to represent not just their teams but the nation as a whole.
Elvin Chand
Nadi
Worth the sacrifice
GOOD to see the USP graduates.
All the sacrifice was worth it, they now have degrees.
The next journey is to find a job.
Allen Lockington
Namulomulo
Team Fiji
Through this column FASANOC would be grateful for the opportunity to provide a clarification to the general public on inaccurate information in a The Fiji Times article published on Friday, April 11, 2014.
FASANOC will be sending Team Fiji to the Pacific Games in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea from July 4-18, 2015.
The Fiji Times article headlined Athletes to pay $16,000 for games participation.
The article also mentioned an “upfront bond of $25000”. For the benefit of the national federations, the athletes and officials aspiring to join Team Fiji and the general public, FASANOC clarifies the following:
1. FASANOC does not levy athletes. The team levy is placed on the national federations (NF) and it is their responsibility to raise the funds.
2. The team levy announced was $1600 per person and not $16,000 per athlete as reported.
3. The total budgeted cost of sending a Team Fiji – athletes and officials – to Port Moresby is $$4,800 per person and the practice has been that this cost is equally shared between the national federation, government and FASANOC.
Therefore, the team levy of $1600 per person, is of the total budgeted cost for a Team Fiji member to participate in the 2015 Pacific Games.
4. The upfront bond is $2000, not $2,500 as reported. This bond covers an eventual withdrawal of a sport after committing to participation. Withdrawal of a sport within a specified period, incurs a penalty of $US1000 and therefore the non-refundable bond of $F2000 is to ensure ongoing commitment to participate in the Games.
FASANOC is grateful for the coverage it receives from the media but it has expectations that the reports will be accurate and balanced.
Lorraine Mar
Secretary General and CEO FASANOC
Thank you
I would like to thank the PM of Fiji for visiting Lautoka.
It was worth the waiting, just to see you.
I, as the ratepayer of Lautoka City would like to thank the city council for keeping the bus stand and the market clean.
Just one request, I felt the area between the bus stand and a certain supermarket was really dirty and the PM saw it.
You have cleaned everything nicely but that area was neglected.
Anyway, I thank you for the clean market but be mindful of the area surrounding the bus stand and the market.
Sometimes good work can come to naught because of one small problem, and the area in question was not nice.
Debra Tiko
Lautoka
Emission controls
ONE issue I’d like to raise with the authorities is the smoke emitted from the generator that backs up the tall white club shaped radar at Nausori airport.
Bluish and white smoke is visible from the generator exhaust and speaking in terms of automotive, it needs immediate repairs and maintenance.
Irrespective of motor vehicles emission tests, which organisation is responsible for testing and analysing emissions levels other industrial and commercial machinery and equipment?
Looking at the current situation, I reckon none exists.
Authorities should also consider testing emission levels on other machinery and equipment that is powered by diesel oil used on industrial and commercial sites.
If only motor vehicles are tested and other machinery and equipment are spared, what difference will it make in regards to climate change?
It would be much appreciated if authorities take heed of the abovementioned situation.
Shamal Chand
Kuku Bau Rd
Nausori
Challenge for Ra
THE recent reports by the World Bank in the recent Ra Provincial Council meeting is indeed challenging.
It would be interesting to know the content. The province has potential in its land and sea resources.
I firmly believe that government should respond accordingly to verfiy the statement.
This will also challenge all individuals including government in its development plan priorities.
What can the Social Welfare Department say about the number of family assistance request from the province?
We need to stimulate economic growth that generate income to each families.
We must thank the World Bank for the report. We need good planning and action to improve the level of income for our people.
Kolinio Ulakia
Nanukuloa
Ra
Vocational qualification
I commend the Ministry of Education and all involved with trying to set a mark in qualification for our labour force and especially for our children in vocational schools.
It has been long overdue and most times slow.
Most vocational students find it hard to cross credit their units to renowned universities for further studies.
Also people who have worked and want to study find it difficult to get some recognition for experience gained, and are told to start all over again from certificate I and thereon.
I have a suggestion to fast pace our people, especially trades people and those of us who work in the hospitality industry who have yet to gain a diploma or degree or a masters.
Could the authorities work with HSI (Hospitality Standards Institute-NZ) or TAFE (Australia), or APTC to quicken people being RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) so they could have recognition for their experience and assess them to a Certificate III or Certificate IV equivalent.
It does take a long time when requesting for RPL from local universities to get an answer.
I also have records of friends going abroad with local degrees only to resit a fair number of units to get an Australian or New Zealand equivalent.
Could the authorities please relook at units offered in our local universities to ensure we cover requirements and standards needed to avoid these scenarios.
Wouldn’t it be better to incorporate overseas degrees to ensure our people are competent, and internationally marketable?
Finau Naigulevu Turaga
Nadi Airport
FEA generator
I hope that FEA considers to relocate its generator out of Levuka Town.
The noise from the generator is a nuisance to the community and the visitors to this heritage town.
The fumes from the generator is also injurious to the health system since it is exposed to the environment.
In a nutshell, it is a health and safety matter.
I now wonder what FEA or the health and safety officials have to say to this.
Like others around me I have learnt to live with it but hope some measures are taken immediately.
Nausad Ali
Beach St
Levuka Town
Important questions
Don’t say after election.
In my letter to this newspaper dated April 7 I had put some important questions for the government to deliberate on.
One of it was better health facilities and with grave concern I had to read the news about a baby born in the most inappropriate way I have ever heard, right under the government’s nose.
Fijian people will need way better health services than this eny-meeny-miny-moe treatment available now.
Simply speaking you have no guarantee to come out alive of a hospital after being admitted for simple treatments these days.
What is important, somebody’s life or new roads which you use to reach hospitals to play a game of eny-meeny-miny-moe?
This government has had seven years to improve the health sector, what guarantee is there that improvements will happen if they win the elections.
Paul Baskaran Nair
Saru Back Rd
Lautoka
Good job
BA Provincial Freebird Institute has shown us that it’s not impossible to conquer giants.
A hearty congratulations to their U19 rugby league team for beating Lelean Memorial School.
Go for it boys, do your school proud, who knows if among you is a Noa Nadruku or Lote Tuqiri.
And remember please, make education a priority and later on you may become a rugby league super star.
Vinaka Ba Pro.
Allen Lockington
Namulomulo
Peace treaty
THE Bible prophesies that a peace treaty will be signed between Israelis and Palestinians.
We are three weeks away from the deadline set by President Obama and US Secretary of State John Kerry for the signing of a peace agreement in the Middle East.
If this event takes place on April 29, 2014, as planned, it will be the greatest prophetic fulfillment in the past 2000 years.
Will Obama succeed where past US presidents have not?
Time will tell. This agreement is said to change the world forever. But as in the days of Noah, the human race is blissfully unaware of what awaits us all.
Korina Waibuta
Suva
One way to heaven
Almost 20 years ago I was asked: “If you were to die today, would you be 100 per cent sure you’d go to heaven?”
I answered as a lot of people would: “I sure hope so, I go to church each week, try to live a good life, don’t commit many big sins and follow the Golden Rule.”
Now I know that there is only one way to heaven, through Jesus Christ.
We are forgiven through our faith in the Lord, not through our works.
Good works naturally follow because we are Christians, but they are not done to try to earn our salvation.
It is a free gift from God. We must only truly believe and receive him through faith.
In this Easter season, let’s put our trust in our Saviour who died for our sins.
This is truly our 100 per cent promise to eternity in heaven with God. What you say Allen?
Wise Muavono
Lautoka
Meter reading
I would like to express my concerns regarding the estimated billing system.
My family home completely burned down in the beginning of this year and obviously the FEA power line is disconnected.
My concern is that my house is now under reconstruction and the power line is cut-off and I am still receiving bills even though the FEA had already come to inspect our house after the fire.
Obviously there is a need for people to go and manually check the individual houses.
Surely with such high tariffs you will be able to afford that.
Charlie Nand
Suva
Fiji’s reputation
I am once again going to Darwin by road to sort out some things then I will again return to Vatusekiyasawa under the Nakauvadra ranges I tend to miss dearly.
I have travelled right around Australia over the time I was at uni as my letters attest to in The Fiji Times.
As a resident of Fiji, I get dismayed when I pull into a place such as the country town of Gaynedah in Queensland, or Longreach, or some other place and get a story of people getting hassled into shops massively overcharged, etc, while off cruises in Suva or Lautoka.
I have, despite being local, had a few incidents of touts pulling me into shops etc. I usually attempt to walk them in the direction of the police post as touting is illegal.
Needless to say the problems soon dried up, though I only visit Nadi to get on the plane or as a bus stop such is my own experience in Nadi.
Even I have a joke about the only difference between the sharks in Nadi and those in the sea is that those in Nadi are either amphibious (have legs) and those in the sea are not in fact I call the place qio or shark.
Touts rip off merchants and other wildlife. Please be aware that I am writing this from Queensland where the reputation of our beautiful home is being trashed in the eyes of visitors by virtue of your conduct.
In the Gayndah case it’s a local businessman who got off the boat in Suva, got circled by the two legged sharks, then jumped back on his boat and never got off in Fiji again.
Why should Fiji be dragged down by conduct that gets around?
We should all do our bit to prevent unwelcome reputations spreading about our towns and country.
You never know where or who will take their experiences to wherever they come from, good or bad.
This from rural Queensland, several were from outback Queensland, Darwin. Think on it.
Keith Gregory
Rakiraki
Political crowd
IN Fiji’s political history having a crowd does not necessarily mean that they will vote for you.
Many a politician have been deceived in the past.
Dan Urai
Lautoka
Issue of discipline
AS reported in the media, the discipline situation in some of our schools is getting out of control.
Simply because the teachers have lost control to discipline students.
The student behaviour is downright rude and at an unacceptable level.
Such schools need a strong leader and an active Parent Teacher Association to resolve conflict situations promptly and amicably.
Teaching no longer remains a preferred profession because of a number of reasons.
First, the trainees coming out of our training institutions find it difficult to find employment.
And those who get the employment find the school environment too daunting for their liking.
Large class sizes, rowdy students, excessive paper work and record keeping coupled with lack of resources and sometimes weak leadership in schools have contributed to the frustrations teachers face.
Annual renewal of teaching licences is also a factor in increasing stress levels of teachers.
The sense of security diminishes.
At the first opportunity teachers look for another job or migrate to greener pastures.
Early retirement of experienced teachers at the age of 55 have also contributed to the unacceptable situation in our schools.
However, schools with strong traditions still produce excellent academic results and hold their heads high in other co-curricular activities.
Dewan Chand
Suva
Early education
Since the election is coming near we can hear a lot of views from different party officials.
However, we have not heard anything on reforms of early childhood education in Fiji.
It appears there is no party with a heart for our ECE teachers and their struggle.
Why are we neglected and regarded as we don’t exist in the education system?
Is there any party that can include ECE reform in their manifesto?
I hope leaders such as Biman and Ro Teimumu, who spent most of the lives in the teaching profession, think about this.
Mohenesh singh
Nadi
Bus driver’s attitude
IT has come to my notice that bus drivers of a prominent bus company which is famous for attracting students with loud music have been obnoxious to their passengers.
A particular driver from this company refuses to give tickets to students in return for their bus fare, and when one of my friends demanded one she was chased from the bus without her fare being refunded.
These drivers have also been famous for overcharging students.
One of my friends had given the school bus fare voucher but the driver demanded cash.
I hope LTA could do something in regards to this issue, as students need to provide the bus ticket to get the bus fare voucher from the Ministry of Education, and I feel that the drivers are taking advantage of students’ naivety.
Hopefully something will be done and hoping to see drivers with professional attitude on the road
Avneel Abhishay
Nadi
Free education
FREE education I believe is the misrepresented information being told to the guides of our future generation.
People should know the actuality of free education and bus fare.
Parents of which some are employed and some unemployed or living in poverty still have to find means to pay for school uniforms, bags, shoes, lunch, field trips, books, pen and other things that is an obligatory from school.
Guidance should be enlightened appropriately that it’s only free tuition and its subsidised bus fare is totally a big difference from free education.
I also hope that other contributors to this column will be more mindful when speaking of free education that they were swayed with.
Anyway it’s the taxpayers that are footing the permitted education tuition and subsidised bus fare, nothing is free!
AREKI DAWAI
Suva
Home for beggars
THE recent announcement of a home being arranged by the Social Welfare Department and the Church of the Nazarene for beggars on the streets should be good news but it was met with some strange and negative reactions.
I am always amazed that there is such an outcry from some people when anything is done to assist the poorer section of the community be they beggars, welfare recipients or squatters.
They are often all branded together as lazy, good for nothing, wanting handouts or a pack of scoundrels.
As Peter Golding once wrote: “Blaming the poor remains the framework for our capitalist conception of poverty, the justification for our bias against the poor”.
So often in a competitive world the victims of poverty are blamed for personal failings.
Certainly, some people may indeed be poor because they are lazy or waste their money but most people are poor because of circumstances beyond their control.
Poor education, lack of skills, indifferent physical and mental health, a sense of inferiority and a lack of motivation are often the result of poverty not its cause.
Sociologists today ask: “Is poverty the problem or is it wealth?”
“Are people poor because of their own fault or because of the way our society is structured, benefiting some with wealth, power and opportunities and disadvantaging others?”
I am amazed that we do not have more beggars around.
Currently at least 35 per cent of our population is living below the poverty line with another 30 per cent living not far above it.
Also at least 15 per cent of Fiji’s population is living in squatter or informal settlements with 20 per cent of the population of the greater Suva area living in squatter settlements.
Social Welfare payments may be improving but are still inadequate.
Sixty per cent of workers in full-time employment are earning wages below the poverty line and the national minimum wage set at $2/ hr is a slight improvement for some but again totally inadequate in view of the current cost of living.
To label beggars as “scoundrels” seems very harsh.
Maybe some are but we can find plenty of scoundrels among our lawyers, our politicians, our businessmen and even among our clergy yet we don’t label them all as scoundrels.
Most are good, concerned and motivated people trying to do their best.
Certainly some beggars may be scoundrels but some of them are loveable scoundrels nevertheless.
Recently Pope Francis remarked that many people may be content to put a coin in a “poor box” to help the unfortunate but very few take the time to look into the eyes of the poor and experience the conditions in which they live.
Father Kevin J. Barr
Suva
School rules
FOR someone who has raised concerns over the harsh rules in a school in Lami.
Please take into consideration that there is no corporal punishment in schools anymore, a rule that of course I would give a nod to.
However, just because of the omission of this rule, some students are getting out of hand.
Strict rules are very important to maintain the balance of behaviour.
Some students just don’t take things seriously and are very mischievous thus create frustration for the teachers.
As for the situation as such where the parents are being called for late arrival, if it is a continuous thing then it needs attention but for swearing there’s simply no room available for a place like school and it’s not to be tolerated.
Some students are heard swearing right under the noses of the teachers.
Strict rules while is important should also be making sense.
But yes as the saying goes all work and no play makes it boring things have to be balanced for our students.
Kirti Patel
Lautoka
Different colours
THE annual provincial rugby matches are all ready to begin where scouts will keep an eye on upcoming aspiring rugby players.
Greener pastures and well managed rugby or national duty beckons.
Individual decision is foremost in this period of general uncertainty.
While each provincial Skipper-sponsored outfit seems to have faded away from their original standard design and colour, I had to look twice in surprise seeing the man in pink outfit on the photo taken by Mr Luvenitoga (FT 10/04) is back from retirement.
Anyway, I believe in him and his team will up the tempo giving a fair and well managed round of games this year. Vinaka Pat!
AREKI DAWAI
Suva
Meter readers
Quite an interesting issue, isn’t it?
After all they are humans too, they go from house to house to do their job and accurate reading means accurate billings, no consumers jumping up and down.
I have four dogs and I tie them during the reading period and also before I leave home for work, I do the reading and write it on a white paper with large numbers for them to read, they don’t even have to come out of their vehicle.
Isn’t this helpful. I am also happy with the estimated readings when they don’t come, in the end we still have to pay so what’s the fuss.
Let’s be wise and help each other.
Jason Verma
JP
Wailoku
A mother’s pain
I write in response to the article on Page 2 of FT 10/04 about a young mother Farina Nisha who claims when giving birth, her baby boy fell on the floor on her way from the observation room to the labour room at the CWM Hospital early last month and that the baby is now suffering from probable injuries pertaining to the fall.
I have two young sons myself and one was born in CWM Hospital and one in Lautoka Hospital.
If there is one thing I know every mother can tell you about giving birth in Fiji hospitals it is this – the level of service and care from the midwives and nurses in these wards leave much to be desired.
I am an iTaukei and I feel bad when I say this, but it is very true.
Our fellow Fijians of Indian descent sisters usually get the brunt of such, I could confidently term, “cruel” and rude care from these midwives and nurses.
I always feel for them when I see how they are treated.
They are often yelled and shouted at, and once I even heard a nurse say to a young mother beside my bed obviously struggling with surgical wounds from an emergency c-section: “See I told you for you to give birth naturally, now you have caesar, good luck. Wait there.”
If I was not in pain myself I would have scolded her for being inconsiderate.
Too bad there are no feedback forms once you pack up and leave for home.
Fijians of Indian descent are perhaps often deemed weaker to us iTaukei mothers so I think this is where the harsh treatment comes from. Another factor I believe these carers are so harsh is because they feel they do it all the time so they have this almost careless attitude.
The point is the nurse or midwife may be so comfortable with birthing babies and the whole works yet they fail to understand the mothers’ side, and factors like anxiety, fear, excruciating pain that a mother feels is foreign to her, no matter what race they are or how many babies they have had.
There needs to be some level of understanding and accommodation for the latter.
Compassion lacks greatly from the carers. This I feel is where the loophole is. I do hope that the MOH seriously looks into this claim highlighted in your paper.
I can assure you, if a research was done to get feedback from mothers all over the country on their thoughts, you will be surprised with the findings and I can bet my bottom dollar that the outcome will be similar to what I have stated above.
On the contrary, when I had my second son, I spent a bit more time in the labour ward waiting for my doctor to show up because it was almost midnight and I believe she was napping.
While waiting, I chatted with the nurses and midwives at length and I heard a bit of their side of the story.
Ridiculously long hours, short staff, changing shifts and leave days that are long far and in between.
I encouraged them to take it up with the ministry to which they responded they already did and issue was bottle necked, etc.
It really shed a bit of light on the topic. To this day I don’t know if that lot of staff I spoke with had done anything more than what they told me.
In the end though, I just truly feel for everyone.
My prayers are with you Farina Nisha, and hope the little man gets better soon.
I can only imagine what you are going through girl.
Hennah Naco
Lautoka
Nadi soccer
I totally disagree with Patrick Fong F/T April 11 that the foul by a Nadi player was deliberate. No player will want to get the red card just like that.
He must be out of his mind to suggest that Nadi doesn’t have any class.
If so Nadi would not have qualified for O-League.
It must be a waste for Patrick Fong but we are proud to be part of O-league as the tournament is yet to finish.
In soccer anything can happen. One more thing I would like to say is that I can see the jealousy in him.
All the best for Nadi team.
Go green go!
JEENA KHAN
Nadi
Corruption issue
I think Nardeo Mishra could be right in wondering if some immigration official in India was waiting for “something else” (FT 9/4) before processing the stranded Suva woman’s passage back to Fiji.
We recall the Noble Literature Laureate V.S. Naipaul telling us in his book An Area of Darkness that in India every office has its price.
That apparently is how they do business in that great democracy.
Rajend Naidu
Sydney
Australia
OFC game
After watching the OFC game between Auckland FC and Nadi on TV, I hope Samuela Drudru is banned for life.
This will come as a strong warning for those players and also be a very good example to the junior players that it is not OK to break someone’s leg.
The worst thing to do would be to draft Drudru into the national squad.
As quite rightly stated by the commentator, I hope Nadi players understand the meaning of “agricultural challenges”.
Soon FFA will be known as Farm Football Association.
Dave Kumar
Lautoka
Sugar bondage
IT is encouraging to read of married couples who are over 80 and still physically active in the struggles of daily life. (FT 9/4) What got me going in this letter is the answer the elderly couple from Vuinadi Village in Koroalau, Cakaudrove gave: “Their old age has not deterred them from cutting copra every week as they search for an income to buy sugar”.
It is interesting that the iTaukei phrase “to be able to buy sugar” includes other daily items.
The fact remains that most of us, not only the iTaukei are in bondage to raw sugar and consume daily foods and drinks containing sugar. Before the sugar plantation farmers entered Fiji, were our iTaukei forefathers hooked on sugar?
As a nation under the sugar spell, if we decide to break this bondage, then all the statistics for sugar related non communicable diseases that plague us will be reduced.
Savenaca Vakaliwaliwa
Nasinu
2014 campaign
Interesting to note that three registered political parties were vying to rope in election candidate and aspiring politician Roshika Deo.
Was it to gain political mileage and secure those crucial votes by having Roshika on your bandwagon?
Sentiments earlier echoed by a few were that she was too green in the political arena and would end up receiving a hiding should she contest in September, vote wise.
Why sing a different tune now?
Nishant Singh
Lautoka
QUICK VIEWS
Tourism stats
THE Bureau of Statistics has indicated that 3,884,521 beds were sold in 2013(FT/10/4/14). Does the bureau have the actual figures of how many tourist paid for these beds in Fiji and how many paid overseas prior to travelling. It would make interesting comparison.
Dan Urai
Lautoka
Judge and jury
This week there was a mention of “Judge, jury, and executor”. I also heard from a friend the old saying “four fingers pointing back”. Its been an interesting week.
Rick Eyre
Lautoka
Good story
SOME will see it as just a cover page story but it is more than that (FT 11/04). I applaud Jone Toga and his three mates for standing in harms way to apprehend robbers of a store. As some would be bystanders on this sort of incidents, it is an individual or group courage that helps make a community or area a safer and secure place. It is a valuable work in aiding the fight against crime.
Pat Vuli
Suva
A waiting life
HAS anyone realised that we are actually living a life of waiting? Yes, waiting for so many things and for so many reasons. And everything that we do on Earth is just to keep us busy while we continue to wait. Once a person passes on, he waits no more because he has achieved what he has been waiting for all his life. The rest of us will then continue the waiting. Oh, what a wait!
Joeli Naleca
Suva
The greatest
TO call Serevi an interpreter is the biggest insult to the greatest or the best sevens player. By the way Osea Kolinisau speaks good English why not use him as an interpreter.
Sukha Singh
Labasa
Weird things
Yesterday morning I saw a iTaukei lady in town with her backside in full view. Been seeing a lot of people doing a lot of weird things lately. Must be the season.
Wise Muavono
Lautoka
Fluoride water
A recent study was undertaken by Philippe Grandjean of the Harvard School of Public Health and Philip Landrigan of the Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai. It found that the fluoride chemicals in the water supply was linked with mental and behavioral disorders in children. The findings were published in The Lancet, so it does have some credibility. I would like to suggest to our authorities to put fluoridation on hold while more stringent testing is done.
Gabriel Simpson
Rakiraki