How Long Have I Been Here?

Suicide Prevention Day - March and Speech 

No sooner were we leaving the airport two weeks ago than Bhiro told me that I was doing the keynote talk for the March in Better Hope on last Sunday.   I said, "No way.  You know I don't like to speak at public gatherings."  This is not because I don't like to speak; it is because I try to live by the fact that the Guyanese have a parade of "whites" proclaiming truths.   "I'll write your speech and you give it,"  I said.

After a period of hard negotiation, I lost and was told to give just a 10 minute speech in the middle of the speakers' list. Uh oh, now I knew it was the familiar barrage of important people talking to the assembled who were hoping that there would be food afterwards.   Fortunately, no matter what I said, it couldn't cause too much damage ..... kind of like preaching.

The March was to begin at 3:00 and walk  a mile to raise public awareness of doing something about the high rate of suicide in Guyana.  There is actually some good news: Guyana is no longer Number 1 at 44 per 100,000; We have dropped to 30 per 100,000.   This is quite significant and something to be proud of for the mental health system in Guyana and the numerous NGO's who have provided counseling and educational sessions throughout the country.

About 3:30, one of the organizers thought that maybe there should be some water as it was a scorcher, even by Guyana's standards.   So off we went to the nearest store to get water for 100 marchers ..... At this time, there were about 10 people - three of whom were driving.   And someone had to pay for it.  It is a good thing Bhiro was there ..... and he wasn't even one of the organizers.

Now it was 4pm and the crowd had come close to 20, with 5 of them driving... And we were still waiting ..... for what? We weren't going to get anymore people.  We were waiting for the police to arrive to guide us along the busy Public Road.   They too had been given a three o'clock time...  

But we were off -- after a fierce debate about whether we should walk in 3's or 2's.  The 2's won out because it was decided that we would look like more people.     We were raising awareness alright ..... The traffic driving west with us was stopped for us to walk the mile .....  

I took this pic from the end of the marchers!

When we arrived at the community centre field, there was already a cricket match that had been scheduled for this time. We had not!   However, the cricketers were gentlemen and sat down to listen to the brief speeches as we were already late.    The microphone was set-up to be at the backs of the audience as it was the only power outlet ..... interesting but the Guyanese took it as normal. To be honest, it wasn't a big crowd, with half the crowd being the cricketers, but at least the crowd outnumbered the speakers.

The MC reiterated many times in his opening (not so brief) remarks that this was a short programme. The first speaker from the Ministry of Public Health went 25 minutes.  Mercifully the other half dozen speakers and pray-ers were shorter but by no means brief.

My Speech

I had offered to be cut from the programme, as it was going on and on, but a guest is a guest.   I decided that I would be Canadian-brief and cut my 10 minutes to five.   I said that with the reduction of the still-high rate, about one half of the suicides in Guyana are impulsive and spontaneous with the ingestion of a lethal herbicide/ pesticide called Paraquat.   It is used in the fields for many crops; before the cane is harvested it is used to clear out weeds, snakes, etc...  One teaspoon ingested is lethal, so lethal that even if you drank it in an Emergency Room there would be no antidote or treatment. You will die a not-nice death within a few days.   There are in reality no restrictions on its sale ..... It is not unusual for a street vendor to be selling fruits, candy and Paraquat.   Banning Paraquat or at least lessening its easy availability would probably reduce suicides by half!

It is banned in all of Europe and most developed countries, except the US -- no one can explain the US today!   One Syngenta plant is in England where it is illegal to use for anything...  and shipped to -- you guessed it -- poor and less regulated countries.

The theme for the day was "Take Time; Save a Life"  which is almost identical to the previous year's, so I decided to be different.   I suggested that they forget about those contemplating suicide and think only of themselves - Be Selfish.    When they work in the fields and spray crops, did they know that it is absorbed by breathing and through the skin .....  and in 15 minutes you can't wash it off.   Paraquat stays in soil for at last 20 years... and in water some say 300 years...  There are trace amounts in the cereal they had for breakfast .....

Exposure to Paraquat, according to research by independent investigators (but not by Syngenta's researchers) leads to an increase in birth defects, elevated risk for Parkinson's,  trouble with lungs, kidneys, liver and more.   This is because it is a "Hit and Run" chemical:  it immediately attaches, but goes away and returns years later .....

And a line that got the cricketers' attention was this: "Hey guys!  Long term Paraquat absorption decreases testosterone production.  And (with my out-pointed, straight index finger) you want to know what happens?"  I slowly bent my index finger and it went limp... "And those little blue pills don't help with this problem.

"So be selfish:  get rid of this stuff!   Clean it out of your homes ..... tell local merchants to lock it up and label it.  Don't wait for the government -- a recommendation for a ban has been on a minister's desk ever since I came in 2002.   Do it for your wives and your children and yourselves."   (I chickened out of  adding, "You don't want your cricket bat to be the only part of you that's hard!" as the newspaper reporter had stopped writing.)  "And if you look after yourselves we will also reduce the number of impulsive suicides dramatically .....and you will maybe even get a Mother Teresa Award for caring about young people."

Dr. Harry (Bhiro) had a good speech on the theme.   He has become like a Psychiatry Saint ..... or since he is Hindu a Swami.   If you want credibility you invoke his name.  People need to be seen with him and just touch his "cloak" or the hem of his garment.

 You Never Know Whom You'll Meet  

The gentleman on the left kept staring at me throughout the whole programme.  After I had finished he came up to me and wanted to know where he had seen me recently... He knew he had.   We finally figured it out; it was at the Everest Cricket Club where I was writing the speech over a beer and some Banga Mary.  He (Primrad) said he was at the Everest praying!  He had to introduce me to his friends and told me that a custom in Better Hope was to have all guests have a beer....  Okay, I can handle that.   And then when I was leaving, he said,  "Well the first beer was for coming and you need  a second for leaving..." and all the guys agreed with him - so it must have been a real tradition.    I had a great chat with them about their lives and struggles and as I was was about to leave again, they told me about another custom.. "You can't leave on an even number of beers..."  by now I figured they might have been making this up...  Bhiro was leaving after having shaken the hand of everyone there, so I had an excuse to break tradition.

A Festival Dinner

As if  Bhiro had not had enough handshaking,  he had 4 tickets to an Indian Arrivals group dinner that evening.   He had to find two people to go with us, and with a stroke of luck he found two young women and off we went.  It was an Indian [South Asian] celebration to be catered with Chinese food by a Chinese restaurant and some karaoke accompanied by a single steel drummer and his computer who played Reggae most of the night.   It was a good time and good food... and we didn't see Bhiro the whole evening as he was making his rounds.

And I got my picture taken at the arrivals monument which is usually off-limits.  And this was just the first day of the week .....

I'll Let "My" Girls Speak for Themselves

I actually had a full week of PBL Classes and they were good.  Some other stuff like doing psychiatry rounds and teaching at Georgetown Public Hospital.  Those things will have to wait.

https://youtu.be/JFFy4xZL52Y

Thanks for joining me this week.