The "Last Post"... till I am back home

This Week's Pictures

I still can't get that slide show working 

So click on  This Week's Pictures.

I have a Dilemma about Returning Home

This morning when I went to get an egg sandwich for breakfast... I saw to my amazement the "Donut Lady" had returned after a year's absence. Fresh, still warm, large, sugar ones.  And during my last week... Oh the Agony!

The First Year's Turn to visit the Morgue

The 2016 Survivalists of Rev John's Trip to the Morgue

After our visit being cancelled last week because there were too many medical students, we returned on Wednesday.  But when we got there -- more medical students.   When Dr. Singh arrived on his motorcycle he saw me ..... He would take care of everything.  I hoped so, as I wasn't leaving this time.   He was a man of his word and arranged to have one body brought in to an adjoining room where my students were also led.    Here the associate pathologist also a Singh ["Singh" is like "O'Connor" -  dime a dozen name] -- first name Yogeshwar [not a dime a dozen name].  I'll let one of the students tell you about the visit:

"My first experience at the morgue was terrifying.  I have always been afraid of dead bodies, not because they scare me but because of the fact that I know that I am going to die someday.  Seeing them makes me wonder about my life and when it is going to end.  This is the scary part because, I don’t want to die.  I don’t want to leave this world and my family and friends.

But being at the morgue today helped me to appreciate life a whole lot more.  It made me realize how meaningless riches and popularity and material things are.   It was difficult looking at the body just being butchered like an animal or some piece of meat.   I thought about the fact that he had a family and how they must feel knowing that he is gone, but I also felt good that they were not there to witness such a gruesome thing.  

Other than what was going on inside me. I was afraid that the smell would get to me, but it didn’t.   At one point I was afraid to look at the face of the corpse, but thankfully I had my friend to help calm me down and I started to relax and that is when I got curious and wanted to touch.  Even though I knew it was a dead body I kept looking for some sign of life.  Personally, I find it hard to understand what it means to be dead. 

Other than my personal fears, the trip to the Morgue was good.  The pathologist Dr. Yogeshwar Singh was a great teacher.  He took time to explain lots of things to us, even though I can’t remember half of it.  When the organs were being removed from the body, I somehow started to feel a pain in my heart; I thought that I would faint.   I wondered if he was feeling any pain.  Even though I am curious, I don’t think that I ever want to go back to the morgue, much less witness another autopsy.   

I must say thanks to Mercy School of Nursing for giving me such an experience.  It has taught me a lot and I plan to share it with my family and friends.  I want to help someone else to appreciate life and their loved ones a little more than they do right now."

Speaking of Scaredy Cats  Frogs and Rev

Bad Selfie with Gecko

A few weeks ago, one of those salamanders or lizard things dropped down from the ceiling on my head...  and I was just a little jumpy.    These geckos are all over and more a nuisance than anything else.   However, early this morning as I lay sleeping, I felt something walking over my ear and when I went to brush it way - it was pretty big - a frickin' frog.  Now I did scream "a little", but I think that I may have had just cause.   We both lived.  I caught the frog and put him [although I guess it could have been a her] outside.   And I live on the second floor ..... now I have "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Mercy Hospital".  Sorry Mark Twain.

Final Exams - a Time for Massive Prayer

Singing to the End - and a new adventure.

This is the time of year that my freshman class of 2013 finish up and prepare to write their National Final RN exams... three days all together - two written and one practical.  As tradition would dictate, on the day before, the whole school assembles and wishes them well with prayers and advice.. and we send them on their way to do battle!  In some ways it is had to believe that it has been over three years since they first stepped into my classroom.

                                                              Singing every day.

Leave it there for Just Now

I heard it said that in battle, you need to leave everything and everyone where they die... However, Guyana has taken that message to heart even in times of peace. Stuff just stays where it stopped or was left. A few examples:

Storage?

Never know when you may need it.

But Officer, I only went for gas.

I may be next!

And my famous "Guyana 911" ambulance of 2010 - still there!

Great News Finally

The first classes for the Master in Medicine - Psychiatry were held.  I got the honor of teaching in their second class.   Now I hold the title of "The Absolutely Best Foreign Professor". [Remember Raj?] There have been so many people who worked hard to achieve this, especially Drs. Bhiro Harry and Jorge Balsiero... and our Canadian Mental Health Team Members... who are even more excited about participating in the future.  They are already planing their February and September trips in 2017.  Ask about how you can join them.  There are four doctors who have been helping in the Psychiatry Department at Georgetown Public Hospital for a few years and hoping that the residency would finally start... and now they will get credit for all their hard work.

I met with them in a state of the art multimedia centre at Georgetown Public Hospital... equipped by a Canadian company.  I forgot to get the benefactor's name, as I am not above groveling to get a smaller one at Mercy SoN.   It is also equipped with a phone line that kept ringing on the screen... and I couldn't figure out how to answer or stop it!

New Residents: Drs Vanetta, Elizabeth [Head Resident], Stephan, Old Fart, Meena

And before I forget...

I had a good visit with Raymond Jagessar, who is now a Full Professor in Chemistry at UG... and a "good" Lutheran.   We shared a drink [Ray's was coconut water; mine wasn't] with good memories of Pastor Dick Young who has vanished into the Oregon hinterlands.

And when I was in New Amsterdam I had a quick visit with the  Lutheran Music Academy there.  I had a lively and enthusiastic conversation with the three new volunteer music instructors, Lauren, Sandor and Kirsten.   They conduct music lessons for the surrounding community and at all different levels of ability.  The founders of the school are Eric Sayre and St Olaf's College in Minnesota - along with the support of "Good Ol' Dr Erv."  Click on their link if you are into music.

Lauren, Sandor, Kirsten the 2016-7 Music Teachers

Several weeks ago, I had the privilege of presenting Dr. Tony Carr's and my programme of Problem Based Learning to Director Tabitha Mallampati's class on teaching theories.   It also gave me the chance to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of how the Mercy programme has been evolving.  These insights are for another time.

There were some Mercy Grads who showed up to hear me again.

And yes, Sister Barbara McLean, I did get to visit with Malinda and make sure she was eating... And I forgot my camera ..... I also forgot my camera [well, actually I did have my camera, but I forgot that I had it] when the Mercy Corps Volunteers had me over for a wonderful team-cooked meal in their nice, but wireless, wireless home...  I am sure I am forgetting stuff, but this will have to do for a few weeks while I finish here and travel to Florida to see some family and then to my Canadian home and my wonderful wife and children and grands.   Till then, thanks for reading.  John

Down the Back Stretch

One Last Week Ahead

I use the horse racing analogy not because of any fierce speed on my part; it is the time that is racing...  "Do not go gentle onto that good plane..."   or so said the non-guitar playing Dylan.   I am running as fast as I can to complete all I set out to do, but I fear I'll have a "DNF" posted.   This is probably how I feel every year. (And if I listened to what I tell my students, I'd go back and read my old blogs to see.)   Almost none of the uncompleted stuffs are related to needing more money. I realized a long time ago that I would never ever be able to give enough even with my small focus of the nursing school and St. Ann's -- things like the outdoor playground for the girls at St. Ann's.  The new basketball backboard is up and the girls really enjoy it and we have balls... However, it is really hard to change routine.  When I was at St. Ann's Thursday afternoon, it took over 30 minutes to find the key for the locked playground.   The girls had not used it since we left on Sunday. It is not that the sisters and matrons don't want them to play; it is not thought about, as it hasn't been done before .....  changing behaviours is slow work .....   I really would hate to see it sit locked for months .....  Dennis and I will be back to St. Ann's a few more times and keep kicking the can, but even if I stayed till Christmas some stuff would still not be changed .....  The good news is that if I get back next year, I will know where to start as the same problems may still be there!

Mental Health and Psychiatry

Last week the Graduate Academic Committee of the Graduate School of University Guyana approved the offering of the degree Master in Medicine, Psychiatry.    This was the last big hurdle before there will be an official Psychiatry Residency Programme in Guyana.   There is a more formal committee for the university but they almost always accept the working committee's recommendations.   A few of my colleagues deserve the credit for pushing this through - Drs. Bhiro Harry and Jorge Balseiro who did  all the research and document preparation for several long months.   It also had the support of the Dean of Health Science, Dr. Emanuel Cummings, and the Dean of the Medical School, Dr. Madan Rambaran, all of whose experience with University Committees were essential.   I had the privilege of attending the meeting as a "Visiting Expert"... I really think I was there to just add some colour.

Guyana is still number one in the world by population for suicides ..... and as you know if you read the papers online or even my blog, the events that scream the need for better mental health in the Guyanese community are the daily occurrences of spousal abuse, violence, etc.  There is now a concrete though long term approach to treating the most difficult mental illnesses.    Four general practice doctors will begin the three-year programme in the new year.    It is uncanny how one positive development can have the power to dispel the darkness.

This is probably from Confucius.   However, is also
the saying of a group from Maryknoll that I joined in 1964.  (Dennis as well.)

As much as I love psychiatrists and think they do wonderful things, I know that the new programme is only a tiny part of improving the mental health needs of the country and the delivery of services to the sufferers from mental illness.    There are other initiatives both by government and private groups, including faith groups.

Last Sunday, I was invited by the Youth Group of Holy Rosary to talk about suicide prevention and mental health.   Mental health needs are being brought to the forefront of public discussion over the last two years.    I am optimistic there are much better times coming in these areas.

More Mental Health

The new Minister of Public Health, Dr. George Norton, liked the idea of a National Mental Health Institute -- a separate place that would be the focal point for all Mental Health Services in Guyana, much like the Caribbean Heart Institute.  Recently, they have purchased two buildings near the hospital that will house the psychiatry outpatients, provide teaching classrooms for the residents' and medical students' rotations in psychiatry, a community reference library and meeting rooms, and the main office for the Mental Health Unit of the Ministry of Public Health.

Setting for the National Mental Health Institute (in progress)
on Quamina Street.

Leslyn Holder,
the new National Mental Health Coordinator.

We have a new National Mental Health Coordinator, Leslyn Holder, who is getting organized and presenting the first ever budget for Mental Health.  A costing accountant has detailed the costs of implementing the National Mental Health Action Plan 2015-2020.

Lots more good stuff is happening, including the third trip to Guyana of the Canadian Mental Health Team whom you an find on FB at:  Transforming Guyana's Mental Health System. Old timers Peter Kuhnert and Ram Kalap will be joined by first timers Lance Morgan and Shrenik Parekh.  They are here to finalize goals for the next 3 to 5 years.

Peter last year

Ram and John last year

Your Tablets and their Stories

The generosity of those who have little amazes me again and again.   When I was getting organized to come down, I had asked Elsie Asabere, the Director of the Nursing School if she could identify all the new first year students who had a device that could access the internet.   She wrote me back that there were only ten who did not have a tablet, laptop or phone; so I bought 20 tablets with donated funds.

However, when I got here there were 15 who did not have anything and a few more whose units were not really very good.   So I said that as I had planned to give five as photography contest winners to girls at St Ann's, could they decide among themselves which 15 students would get a tablet?  I was willing to just have two photo prizes if they needed more than the 15.   When I returned there were only 15 in total who needed a tablet ..... because, they told me,  the girls at St Ann's needed them more.  More?  I was amazed at their cooperation and generosity towards others.  

Well, I have run out of time to do the photo contest ..... so I decided to see which first year students really needed a tablet right now.  I knew two second year students had had their tablets from last year give up the ghost and they had no money to get another tablet ..... but the first year were my priority, so I asked who really needed a tablet.  (Some had little phones that could access the net, but I couldn't read them even with my glasses.  So I said that I had four extra ones now (I knew someone who really needed one in second year) and we would draw lots for who got them.      The next day I brought in some blank sheets to do the draw... And the class had decided that there were only really three students who needed the tablets and I could use the other for someone who needed it more.  More?

Another first year student came to tell me that a quiet student needed the last one... So I said, Fine send her in.   She arrived at my room and told me she had a phone but the charger was broken and was waiting for some family to come at Christmas to bring her a new charger ..... and in the meantime, she would use a batchmate's on class days.    She did not need it.   And she did know of one second year student who needed it more.  More?

I do not want them to sound like Mother Theresa - or else I couldn't yell at them when they gave a stupid answer (yes, I know there are no stupid questions, but there are some incredible answers) -- imagine yelling at Mother Theresa!   However, they are gracious, kind and generous... amazingly generous.   Next year, I will get everyone a good tablet - with your help of course...  I might even roll the donations to my beer fund into it as well.   I do know what more is...

The National Flower is Becoming Endangered

The government has banned the sale and use of styrofoam at the start of 2016.  The white food boxes have littered the landscape from ocean and canals to trees.   An amazing move!  And as usual, I have been ahead of my time:  I have been having my meals here in plastic reusable containers since Maria Kidner and Jane Greiling made me, back in 2003 (and as Kristin did many years ago in Dundas). Actually, they shamed me into it and -- and then they never came back to check .....   And today I have the same ones ..... though they have gotten stained over the years so the kitchen staff always ask me, "Have you cleaned these recently?"

Dennis is getting ready to leave the day before me, but not before packing his parachute and one more pink umbrella drink at Frenzy's Bar on a Saturday Morning...   He tells me that those umbrellas are nothing to laugh at as they are big chick magnets ..... Anyhow, the "chicks" get their laugh for the day....  All kidding aside, I will miss him.

Dennis will write next week's blog and I will probably finish up the following week.. Thanks for sharing our adventure - John, Dennis and Emilee.

Canadians from Suddie to New Amsterdam

The Canadian Mental Health Team Returns 

Yes, and more of them!  This year there are 17 professionals who have joined Peter, Sujay and Ram [Brenna stayed home as she is in late pregnancy] who were here last year on an exploratory trip. If you wish to look back, see  Peter Puts Pen to Keyboard, November 1, 2013.

Actually, we got an early warning that they were coming when one of the team members called their hotel here on Saturday night to confirm her reservation, only to discover that only about half of the team was booked.   Many of the hotels have web sites here and have on line reservation forms; however, whether they are ever looked at is a different question.  A little experience of  "Welcome to Guyana" .....   They had visions of arriving  at 2:00 AM from the airport with no room to sleep in -- wandering the streets of Georgetown.  And my "ever-helpful roommate" Sylvia was walking around our flat deciding how many mattresses we could accommodate here!   She finally figured that she could get them all in here, but Dennis and I had to sleep on the boxes in Materials Management next door.    

Well, Peter was able to book another hotel before Leiota from the Ministry of Health got even more rooms. They were met at the airport and brought safely to their rooms ..... at the two hotels.   And that was not the only expectation that was not met ..... The lectures were postponed.  The meeting with the Minister of Health was cancelled in order for him to address the Ebola situation here, and make the usual political speech about how well prepared Guyana is.   The Minister of Culture had been called out of the country, so the press conference was much smaller than expected and all the cameras were involved with the Ebola announcement..  

I had made a solemn vow before any god I could remember that I was going to stay at a distance and just observe from the sidelines as I already thought I couldn't finish what I already had on my plate; and besides, Peter, Sujay and Ram were veterans!  It didn't last, and my neurotic-messianic disorder came to the front when I realized that they would be doing nothing for most of their first afternoon in Guyana.  So I volunteered to do a small tour of Georgetown -- St George's Cathedral, the tourist trap crafts lane, National Museum and the Seawall.  Well, by the time they had decided to go and we had a bus ..... The Cathedral and Museum were closed, and I don't think anyone bought anything at the craft shops.  So we walked over to the Market area near Stabroek and wandered through the crowded and dark stalls.  (I think they became aware that they were really a minority.)   Then, we took off for the ocean and the "beach" at the Seawall near the Bandstand.  And, thank God, the ocean was still open! 

The women excited to see  Guyana's Beautiful Beach...

The Team had planned an opening meal and Dennis, Sylvia and I got invited to join them.  It was a great meal and good fellowship and a way to put some of the start-up problems behind them -- perhaps.

What is more Guyanese than Indian Food?

  






The End of Day One

Tuesday morning saw Team 1 and Team 2 get on their way to New Amsterdam and begin their work at the National Psychiatric Hospital re-introducing an Electroconvulsive Therapy Clinic.  However --  and this is a screw-up even beyond the usual Guyanese screw-ups ..… No machine, no electricity in the room, no AC for the delicate equipment, no security (read: door lock), no anaesthetists, no patients with depression, no knowledge claimed by the CEO nor Dr. Maida, the psychiatrist, of their arrival, no recovery areas, a visiting surgical team scheduled at the same time which seconded all the NA anaesthetists, the hotel gave their rooms away -- ETC.  Yes, it's all true!    

This project had been in the works for months, and the machine and supplies had been shipped and arrived in the country.    I might call Sujay thorough!  He and his team had developed teaching materials, manuals and guidelines for ECT administration, proper use of anaesthetic, nursing care pre- and post-therapy, how to use talk therapy as a co-joint intervention, patient and family education materials .....  His team put in hours and hours of preparation.   The ECT programme is what the government and Dr. Harry had asked the team for last year. 

I am glad that I wasn't in New Amsterdam when they arrived ...  But to my amazement and to the huge credit of my colleagues, no one turned homicidal and they went about planning how to be effective with almost every expectation unmet.  Canada should be proud of the professionals who come to foreign lands and represent the best of the Canadian Spirit -- though I do not think they went as far as making a Canadian apology for the inconvenience they caused!

In the end -- or really just a few days later -- the ECT machine was found and a place was secured for it at the General Hospital in New Amsterdam and Sujay and his team began training health professionals.   The Ministry of Heath worked very hard to correct any earlier problems.   It did add weight to my adage:  you need to be here face-to-face to achieve what you want to get done.  It is just how it is  -- and why the country finds it difficult to move from a developing country to one which is more developed.

Next:  Peter's team got left behind.  Or no, not exactly.  On Tuesday, the members accompanied Dr. Harry to his outpatient clinic in Linden ..... They ended up being surprised by 40 or so nursing students and staff who were there for a half day workshop on Mental Illness and Suicide Prevention...  And before any of them could find a  suitable weapon, Dr. Harry had left.    And again the amazing resilience of these Canadian professionals, including Sylvia, meant that they took a few minutes, regrouped and presented a well-received workshop.   When Dr. Harry reappeared, he tried to "kiss and make up" with a large lunch!  

On their way back to Georgetown by bus, the team saw a pickup truck roll over -- and just like in the movies, Dr. Upe, who had all his medical supplies with him, and Nurse Naderia, jumped out of their bus and started to attend to the two people in the truck.  This had to be the world's record for the quickest accident response time in Guyanese [and maybe Canadian] history!  

Back at the School of Nursing, Dennis led both of Tuesday's classes by explaining the students' Myers-Briggs  Personality Profiles.  He gave the tests to them last week and had spent most of his time since then in scoring.   It was a great exercise in self-reflection and maybe the first time that they had looked at who they were in such depth.     


The girls were so advanced that
he upgraded his class from Relationships101 to 102




 



A Special Wuzzle for Dennis.
I had to save it for someone
to whom it applied.

He also had the class get in touch with their "Poet Within" in homage to
Robin Williams' Really Dead Poets Society.   

 Mercifully, The End of Only Day Two.

Day Three would see me return to my vow of just watching... However, I had only printed off Revision 37 of their suggested schedule and failed to notice Revision 49:  Team 3 presents to Mercy Nursing Students at 9:30 .....  Okay, I am Canadian:  if they can cope, so can I.  We cancelled Problem Based Learning for that day, had another teacher give me her class time, and arranged for the second year students to be there, for which another teacher gave up her time... And Upe, Naderia and Paige did an excellent job of presenting "De-stigmatizing Mental Illness".  The students had lots of great questions as just about everyone in Guyana has been touched by mental illness or a suicide.   At least, we would return to "normal" on Thursday .....

That evening the Ministry had rescheduled the CME talks for 6 pm at the auditorium of the National Public Library.   Would I go or not?  I was really tired ..... and the event was not publicized anywhere that I know of .... so Sylvia and I (Dennis was still at the Bosco Boys' Home) went, fearing that no one else would be in the audience ..... Upe talked about the "Elderly and Mental Illness" while Peter presented on "Psychotropic Drugs During Pregnancy".   Actually there were more than 30 doctors in attendance and all appreciated the presentations ..... and Sylvia and I managed to stay awake.

Mercifully, The End of Day Three

It's never "normal" in Guyana ..... The Wednesday's Team had such a great time at the Nursing School that the other half of Peter's Team was now coming on Thursday... And this was on no schedule .....  To shorten these tales:  Martina Power, Sinidu Shimells and Tammy Benwell met the same students and presented an overview of Mental Illness, highlighting Depression and also some Identification and Intervention with Suicidal Persons.    I hate to say this but the students may have enjoyed it more than PBL .....  The presentations were great and the students benefitted . 

There were two more lectures at the Library again on Thursday at 6:00... However, I was just finishing my St Ann's Girls "Bodies, Boys, Belief and Boundaries" course, scheduled to end at 5:30 but the girls kept me overtime till 5:45.  Martina had donated some t-shirts and since there were twenty of them I used them with the girls in my class.  [Some are in the pic.]  Thanks, Martina.  

I then faked an injury and went to my Everest Cricket Club, where there is no cricket ..... and took Dennis down the path of fun and self-destruction.   And then our "Dynamic Catholic" Course leader joined us incognito.   Even better than two more lectures!

Gratefully, The End of Day Four

Friday saw the local team head out to Suddie for an outpatient psychiatry clinic.   The best part is the speedboat ride across the Essequibo... especially in the afternoon when the winds are almost always stronger and the passengers always wet.   From what I hear it was a great clinic with lots of patients seen ...and no bad surprises. 


Today is a Day Off  
The Teams trade places and the NA team comes here and the GT team goes there till Monday.   One of the team members, Ram Kalap, is Guyanese and has a large family outside New Amsterdam who are hosting the whole team to a traditional family feast.   The unholy trinity here is not going as we are headed out on Monday to the National Psychiatric Hospital with the nursing students ..... and two+  hours one-way in a minibus is about all the fun I can manage.

The Team will be here till the early hour of 2 am Wednesday Morning when their adventure will be over ..... Dennis has another week, till Saturday.  And Sylvia is deserting me to go one a retreat to Barbados - white sand and blue water ..... for a week, while I am still here getting my points in the Kin-dom for dedication.   Just three more weeks till I and Sylvia finish for 2014.

This Week's Star at Mercy

?????????????

This is not because there are no more stars.  I just didn't get around to interviewing anyone...  Next week, maybe I'll have to have two?

Father John's 2nd Annual Photo Contest

This Week's Slide Show contains some of the thousands of pictures that the St Ann' Girls have taken for Father John's 2nd Annual Photo Contest.   I will put up only those that made the first cut for the category "Happy Face".  If you have a favourite, tell me and I'll make sure not to cut it when I reduce to just ten finalists.

Thanks for reading this far.
John [Rev]
The Team has a page on FB at: Transforming Guyana’s Mental Health System: A Canadian Initiative 

Same as Before and Just as Hot

This Week's Star at Mercy

Mark Joseph Harry Low

 

Mark is a true Mercy Hospital person as he was born at the hospital some forty years ago, when (I think) Sister Sheila Walsh was the CEO here, and his family lived just around the corner on Duke St. He did move to the East Coast for a while, as he had to live with his grandparent in Annandale and went to Buxton Community High School.    His grandfather and father were Hindu Pandits, but he didn't follow in their footsteps.  However, as he said his grandfather said, "The Lord is One."

He started his Mercy Career as a Maintenance volunteer for 6 months and then in 2006 began is present position as  a Ward Attendant.   His job takes him all over the hospital - delivering oxygen or a patient or waste.   This allows him to serve as a greeter to staff and visitors alike.  I would think it was unusual if you came to Mercy and he was working that you didn't see him and get a friendly hello.

He says the best part about working at Mercy is his job description ..... a little of everything and everywhere.   "So Mark, you like your job?" "No Rev, I love it."   He has little routine and is constantly learning new things.  In fact, he has been going back to school for several years trying to upgrade his education and is now in the pre-CXC programme at a local Adult Education School four nights a week.   As he says, "I am slow academically, but that doesn't stop me."

When asked about what would he tell my vast readership about Guyana, he sounded just like a travel brochure outlining all the interesting sites here, the Amazon Jungle, Kaieteur.  I think he named something interesting in all ten regions.

Asked about his piece of wisdom for my readers: "If you want something, then go after it. You just can't sit down.   It is not easy.  You need to believe in yourself.  You need to have the mind to do it and with prayer."

So in 2014 what will you be doing, Mark?   "So many plans.  And with God's grace I'll pass Maths and English CXC's.  I would love to be a Nurse Aid"  And of course at Mercy Hospital!

I Should Listen to Myself

Whenever I evaluate what I am doing here, I am content to say my goals are small: I come and work really hard for 12 weeks with my 20 or so students.   I do this because it is way too frustrating to do anything larger societally.  Clear focus; no problem .....


I don't know what happens to me.  It started innocently enough in July. My friend, Bhiro Harry asked, "John, would you help us edit Guyana's new Mental Health Action Plan?"  Sure; sounds easy; how much trouble and stress could an editor get into?


When I finally got a copy of the detailed Action Plan, I think there were almost an many blank pages  "To Be Completed", as there were pages with content.  And then it went downhill...  Bhiro would rather see 20 psychotic patients off their meds than read one paragraph; and the other collaborator, Jorge, is a Cuban psychiatrist whose English, while much better than my Spanish, does make me look like a grammarian.   I had asked for some financial data and other statistics and Guyana's "just now's"... permeated the correspondence.   A week or so before I left Canada, I rewrote the places where we needed actual data, using realism.



So in place of "the budget for 2015 will be so many dollars", I wrote, "The actual budget contribution of the government will be determined after the legislative passage of specific lines of action."  

Anyhow, there was the  roll-out of the plan on Friday (while the actual plan is still being printed);   there were the press and tv ..... a set of powerpoint slides, a few discreet questions -- and it was mercifully over.

Dr Bhiro Harry sharing the overview of the "Shaping Guyana
Mental Health Through 2020.
[R] Minister of Health Bheri Ramsaran
providing strong support
for the  New Plan

 

Before that we -- the unholy trinity of Bhiro, Jorge and me -- were invited to talk about the Mental Health Plan at the UN Headquarters.  I was going there to just look cute and give some moral support. Well, the head of the staff there got up to introduce us and proudly announced that it was her great pleasure to have us talk about Balancing our Work and Home Lives.   I started to slouch down in my chair .....  It reminded me of once presenting to a nurses' group in Toronto on "Developing Organ Donor Protocols" and as I was sitting to be introduced, someone handed me the programme where it was clearly displayed that I would be talking about the "Spiritual Needs of the Elderly".  And there was no place to run .....  So:  "The spiritual needs of the elderly in their distilled form parallel the development of donor organ transplant procedures ....."



I am so full of BS!  I had no trouble addressing their topics, but first I had to point out the obvious:  "Here you have three professionals volunteering on a late Friday afternoon to do this session.  I really think you should distrust anything we may say about balancing your lives."  In the end, I had fun; and they want us back for an advanced session.   I suggested they schedule it for December, as I leave in late November .....



And then today at 6:00am there was to be another march for Suicide Awareness -- and Breast Cancer?  The march was to end at the Fair site, the plaza of the Revolution with the famous Cuffy statue of 1783.   There at     9 am, I was to man a booth that dealt with "Counseling Adolescents" -- another surprise.



When I got here maybe forty police officers were there listening to Bhiro.    And as I was dropping my backpack, I hear, "Now Rev John will share his thoughts on mental illness and policing."   (I swear I am not making this stuff up.)   So I talked about resisting the urge to settle a mental illness standoff with violence.   They needed to be in touch with their fears and prejudices about the mentally ill, and very few ever resort to violence against others, and a few other gems .....

Dr Tony, a new Cuban, psychologist got put to work
early with the police attendees.
[R] I started with "Counseling Adolescents"
and then scratched out Adolescents... and finally ended
up with my last sign, so Bhiro came over! 

And in the spirit of "I bet you can't eat just one".   I will be helping another person Tabitha Mallampati conduct a full review of the Nursing School at Mercy -- right after I design it.   Sylvia invited me as consultant to the Family Life Commission of the RC Diocese here in Guyana... and I somehow left there with my used-to-be friend Sylvia, saying that I would lead a small workshop for all the leaders of the local GT congregational groups on desensitizing the stigma of Mental Illness.

It is a good thing Dennis LeBlanc is coming, I think he is an expert in that area!   He might not be too willing after he sees all the changes that have been happening to his new bedroom.  Below is this morning's picture.-

Sylvia and I did move the table.  Now there is an  avant guard
open concept bedroom complete with invisible furniture. 

Old Friends and A Swim

It has not been all work.  I have invited several old friends out for a meal and a few beers to catch up on their lives.  

 David Yahn was the Chairman of the Board at St Joseph Mercy Hospital.   And in our usual tradition we solved the world's and our own problems over a few beers.    David's family have a long history here in the life of Guyana and some great stories.  His dad grew up right around the corner from Forbes Burnham, a former President of Guyana.






Then, I caught up with Raymond Jagessar.  Ray is a Chemistry Professor at University Guyana who specializes in the medicinal qualities of many Amazon Jungle plants.  He did his Ph.D in the States but came back to help out his country.  AND he is a Lutheran from Skeldon and that is how I first got to know him.   We met at our usual hangout outside the university and he had a couple of Maltas - and I had -hmmm - what was it - oh yes, a few beers.    Raymond is still single, so any eligible women out there, write me and I'll give you his contact information.



I still have to catch up with a few more old friends like the Scarboro Sisters  Donna and Bev. Also, and my fault,  I didn't remember to take a picture of Shawn Rampersaud when we went out.  Shawn was a previous Treasurer here at Mercy for many years.   In many ways, he is still supporting Mercy as he works with Demerara Tobacco Company.   

Swim at the Grand Coastal
This is really about an old friend too, but Ian MacKay wasn't here this time. He is back in Canada recovering from a total hip replacement.  Tony Carr and I first met him here many years ago as he has been the consultant for the renovation of the hotel.  So I ride on his coattails and go for a swim and a few beers and dinner without getting a room.    This Eid holiday, Sylvia and I spent a very cool afternoon poolside.  Thanks, Ian.

Thanks for reading this week and to all my Canadian friends and family -- and all those Americans who wish they were Canadian:

                  HAPPY THANKSGIVING!