Barbadians have a right to be officially informed about Prime Minister David Thompson’s health status.
Former Government minister Kerrie Symmonds asserted this last Sunday night when the Barbados Labour Party’s (BLP) Christ Church South constituency branch met at St Christopher’s Primary School.
He said it was the norm for leaders everywhere to brief their people whenever they fell ill and this had been demonstrated by former Prime Ministers Sir Lloyd Erskine Sandiford and Owen Arthur.
However, Barbadians had heard nothing from Thompson or the Government about the Prime Minister’s health since he reported he was back on the job after two months’ leave, the lawyer/politician told BLP members and supporters.
He said Thompson’s health was “not a matter about which . . . they can play games”.
Government should not leave Barbadians to speculate about how ill the Prime Minister was or about his ability to function effectively because of the absence of information, Symmonds remarked.
Since the Prime Minister resumed duties, he should have made a public appearance to address last Friday’s fire in Tudor Street, Bridgetown, and should also have spoken on major issues that surfaced in his two-month absence, he argued.
Symmonds said Thompson was yet to speak publicly about the strike by doctors at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, industrial unrest and the dispute between Commissioner of Police Darwin Dottin and his deputy Bertie Hinds. (TY)
