Police remembrance day
AT the Police Remembrance Day, the Police Commissioner Rusiate Tudravu stated that 38 police officers died over the past year, exposing a serious health crisis within the force. Mr Tudravu shared that officers between the age range of 30 to 50 died from non-communicable diseases after delaying medical help. He raised another serious issue — the fear of being labelled weak or unfit prevented officers from seeking medical and psychological support. It’s high time our police officers look after their health. They must also be given necessary support to carry out their duties. The Editor-in-chief’s editorial (FT: 30/09) made sense. Rajnesh Ishwar Lingam Nadawa, Nasinu
Six years, two homes
SIX years after $2.7million was allocated for the relocation of vulnerable families in Cogea, Bua, Parliament is demanding answers after only two houses were completed. MPs questioned why the project was handed to an organisation without experience in village relocation, while 70 per cent of the contractor’s payment was made upfront. With the project stalled and the original target cut from 30 homes to about 16, the Government has been urged to intervene and account for the money because Fiji’s credibility with donors could suffer when projects are not delivered. RAJEND NAIDU, Sydney, Australia
Forgive and forget
Regarding the $30m of drugs which have been replaced by flour at the court facility, I believe that happened years ago, not in the last few weeks or few months. Because it all happened in the past, and in accordance with tradition, culture and faith in Fiji, I believe we should forgive and forget and move on and give the perpetrators a second chance. Instead of wasting money on investigations and inquiries which most likely will go nowhere, we should let faith, tradition and culture take precedence. This is not the first time this will have happened in Fiji. The PM knows about forgiveness and multiple second chances. He was not embarrassed then, so why should he be embarrassed now? Jan Nissar Sydney, NSW
Get priorities right
Bharat Morris is absolutely correct in pointing out that there are other more pressing issues facing the country then amending the constitution. The Government needs to get its priorities right. They may be time pressed to fulfill the pre-election promise made to their voters. But there is nothing more important than the welfare and wellbeing of our citizens. That should always come first. Will the amended constitution provide the magic bullet that will fix all our problems? I can say with certainty that they will secure more votes if they address the issues highlighted by Bharat. But they have to act pronto as time is running out on them. SELWA NANDAN Lautoka
Missing cocaine
Those who were entrusted with ensuring the security of the missing cocaine bars failed miserably. An absolutely outrageous security failure and those responsible must face serious interrogation. Send them all to QEB. The whole bang lot of them. There’s no excuses for a failure of this magnitude. Leave no stone unturned. Sivia na corruption. Anthony Sahai Levuka, Ovalau
Sugar prosthetics
The Standing Committee on Economic Affairs has reportedly identified poor coordination among key institutions as a major challenge facing Fiji’s sugar industry, further stating that fragmented service delivery, overlapping responsibilities and limited information sharing are undermining the sector. This is akin to first removing the legs of an individual, then trying to figure out how best to make the individual walk with prosthetic legs and then blaming the prosthetic legs suppliers for bad quality and maybe the delivery man for poor delivery. Explanation. Decades ago, the legs of the sugar industry were removed via racially charged reasons, throwing the land leases into mayhem. The sugar industry has been limping ever since. Now, nobody has any idea on how to run the industry, so it’s most convenient to find a plethora of reasons and institutions to blame. The prosthetic legs can’t be like real legs. It’s the land lease, or the lack of it. Donald Singh Nausori
Alarming statistics
NCD scenario
The report in The Fiji Times that approximately 80 per cent of deaths in Fiji is associated with non-communicable diseases is an alarming statistic that we have heard often enough now that it should, by now, stop us in our tracks. But perhaps the most disturbing part is not simply that people are dying from NCDs. It is that Fijians in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s are dying during what should be the most productive years of their lives. So, I ask a simple question: What is Government’s role? We continually tell people to eat better, exercise more, stop smoking, reduce alcohol, sleep properly and take responsibility for their health. And yes, individuals must take responsibility. But when a problem has reached the point where it is reportedly contributing to around 80 per cent of deaths in a country, surely we can no longer describe it simply as an individual lifestyle problem. It has become a national problem requiring a national response. Who determines what foods are imported into Fiji? Who determines taxation and incentives? Who sets food standards and labelling requirements? Who determines what food is served or sold in our schools and public institutions? Who supports our farmers to make locally-grown nutritious food more available and affordable? Who regulates tobacco, alcohol and the marketing of unhealthy products? Who ensures that people can access regular screening before hypertension, diabetes and heart disease become medical emergencies? Who designs our communities so that walking, recreation and exercise are encouraged? And who coordinates Health, Education, Agriculture, Trade, Finance, Local Government, Youth and other agencies so that NCD prevention becomes everyone’s responsibility rather than simply another burden placed upon the Ministry of Health? This is where Government comes in. We cannot spend millions treating diabetes, heart disease, strokes, kidney failure and amputations at one end while doing too little to change the conditions producing those diseases at the other. That is not prevention. That is managing the consequences. If processed and unhealthy food is cheaper and easier to obtain than nutritious local food, we need to ask why. If our children are developing unhealthy habits from an early age, intervention must begin in schools and homes — not when they arrive at hospital 20 or 30 years later. If young working Fijians are dying from preventable disease, this is no longer only a health issue. It is an economic issue, a workforce issue, a family issue and a national development issue. Every person who dies prematurely is a mother, father, son, daughter, worker, farmer, teacher, police officer, business owner or community member whose contribution to Fiji ends far too soon. We should, therefore, stop asking only: “Why aren’t Fijians looking after themselves?” Government should also be prepared to answer: “What are we doing to create a Fiji in which the healthier choice becomes the easier and more affordable choice?” Because if 80 per cent of our deaths are being attributed to NCDs, awareness campaigns alone are clearly not enough. This requires measurable targets, coordinated policy, prevention, early detection, accountability — and urgency. When people in their 20s and 30s are dying from preventable disease, how much worse must the statistics become before we treat NCDs as the national emergency it already is? Noleen Billings Savusavu
Future NCDs
Weeks ago, I visited a relative’s house and noticed two teenage boys, aged 12 to 14, playing online soccer with each other. They shouted and yelled, and at one point, one of them shouted, “Come on, Digicel!”(Apparently reacting to a drop in internet connection). Beside them sat a new Puma size 5 soccer ball, untouched. I wondered to myself, where is this generation heading? Soon, NCDs may become an even greater burden, leading to lifelong health problems and increased pressure on our health services. I’m not saying phones are bad for children, but are we heading in the right direction? Our children are the future. Let us make sure we are preparing them for tomorrow, not just for the next game on a screen. RODNEY CLARENCE RAJ Naleba, Labasa
Missing coke
While we continue to digest the missing coke theories, I think it would be equally intriguing to know what will be done to the discovered flour. Or is it roti flour? Mohammed Imraz Janif Natabua, Lautoka
Drug conversion
While under police custody, drugs allegedly converted to Epsom salt. Now it has converted to flour. What next? Dan Urai Lautoka
Miracles do happen
It’s a miracle that just by changing the Sugar Industry Minister, all three sugar mills have shown notable improvements in operational performance compared with previous year. If this miracle is working, we should change Health Minister, Justice Minister etc. We will notice notable improvements in operational performance of hospitals, disappearance of court exhibits stemmed etc. I strongly believe, that if this miracle continues, we’ll have only the Tourism Minister left unchanged. Rakesh Chand Sharma Nadi
HIV outbreak
Fiji declared a national HIV emergency is a threat for Fiji Tourism. Let’s hope and pray there is a way to reassure all travellers for their safety. Health and safety remains first priority and that matters most. Tahir Ali Hamilton, New Zealand
Delayed effects
FIJI leaders, please stop crying out loud at the world stage about the HIV epidemic and drug crisis we are facing. The innocent people know what Fiji is facing at the moment is the delayed effects of military supported coups. AREKI DAWAI Suva
Cops and drugs
Once it was only seen in movies. Now it’s becoming a reality as drugs reign supreme. Dan Urai Lautoka
NCD scenario
The report in The Fiji Times that approximately 80 per cent of deaths in Fiji is associated with non-communicable diseases is an alarming statistic that we have heard often enough now that it should, by now, stop us in our tracks. But perhaps the most disturbing part is not simply that people are dying from NCDs. It is that Fijians in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s are dying during what should be the most productive years of their lives. So, I ask a simple question: What is Government’s role? We continually tell people to eat better, exercise more, stop smoking, reduce alcohol, sleep properly and take responsibility for their health. And yes, individuals must take responsibility. But when a problem has reached the point where it is reportedly contributing to around 80 per cent of deaths in a country, surely we can no longer describe it simply as an individual lifestyle problem. It has become a national problem requiring a national response. Who determines what foods are imported into Fiji? Who determines taxation and incentives? Who sets food standards and labelling requirements? Who determines what food is served or sold in our schools and public institutions? Who supports our farmers to make locally-grown nutritious food more available and affordable? Who regulates tobacco, alcohol and the marketing of unhealthy products? Who ensures that people can access regular screening before hypertension, diabetes and heart disease become medical emergencies? Who designs our communities so that walking, recreation and exercise are encouraged? And who coordinates Health, Education, Agriculture, Trade, Finance, Local Government, Youth and other agencies so that NCD prevention becomes everyone’s responsibility rather than simply another burden placed upon the Ministry of Health? This is where Government comes in. We cannot spend millions treating diabetes, heart disease, strokes, kidney failure and amputations at one end while doing too little to change the conditions producing those diseases at the other. That is not prevention. That is managing the consequences. If processed and unhealthy food is cheaper and easier to obtain than nutritious local food, we need to ask why. If our children are developing unhealthy habits from an early age, intervention must begin in schools and homes — not when they arrive at hospital 20 or 30 years later. If young working Fijians are dying from preventable disease, this is no longer only a health issue. It is an economic issue, a workforce issue, a family issue and a national development issue. Every person who dies prematurely is a mother, father, son, daughter, worker, farmer, teacher, police officer, business owner or community member whose contribution to Fiji ends far too soon. We should, therefore, stop asking only: “Why aren’t Fijians looking after themselves?” Government should also be prepared to answer: “What are we doing to create a Fiji in which the healthier choice becomes the easier and more affordable choice?” Because if 80 per cent of our deaths are being attributed to NCDs, awareness campaigns alone are clearly not enough. This requires measurable targets, coordinated policy, prevention, early detection, accountability — and urgency. When people in their 20s and 30s are dying from preventable disease, how much worse must the statistics become before we treat NCDs as the national emergency it already is? Noleen Billings Savusavu
