Amery Browne: Release Cheryl from St Ann's
Originally printed at
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Amery_Browne__Release_Cheryl_from_St_Ann_s-146206155.htmlBy Anna Ramdass anna.ramdass@trinidadexpress.com
April 4, 2012
The forced hospitalisation of a Government employee to a mental asylum was a shameful travesty that occurred in this country, says Opposition MP Dr Amery Browne.
Browne yesterday called on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan to take immediate action to release Cheryl Miller from St Ann's hospital.
"I call upon the Minister of Health and the Prime Minister to immediately reverse this travesty, Mr Speaker I call upon the Minister of Health as well to make them investigate who made that call to the North West Regional Health Authority...who made that call to procure the mental health officers to resolve a simple office dispute and a citizen standing up for her rights in such a brutal and dictatorial manner," said Browne.
Miller, an employee of the Ministry of Gender, Youth and Child Development, was forcibly taken from the Ministry's office two weeks ago by mental health workers and taken to St Ann's hospital after a dispute with a senior Ministry official. She is still a patient there.
Browne criticised what he called the breach of Miller's rights at the Senate sitting yesterday in his contribution to the Regional Health Authorities (Amendment) Bill, 2011.
He disclosed that on Tuesday he met with Miller's family, work colleagues and former workmates who were all unhappy over the situation.
The Government, he said, was silent on this issue and speaking to everything else under sun while pretending to care about human rights and health care of the nation's citizens.
Minister of Gender Youth and Child Development, Verna St Rose-Greaves, on Tuesday said she was sorry for what happened to Miller but added that the action was taken out of concern for Miller's safety and those around her in the workplace.
Browne took issue with this saying, "The evidence presented to the public suggests that no violence or threat of violence to the self or anyone else was involved, this was simply a lady standing up for her rights...isn't that what the Parliament is all about? Defending the rights of the defenselessly?"
"Mr Speaker I am ashamed that a violation of human rights occurred right here in Tower D on the Waterfront of Trinidad and Tobago and it's a disgrace that two caring Ministries — the Ministry of Health and the new Ministry of Gender Child and Youth Development — had to find themselves at the core of this particular travesty," he said.
He said persons who were involved in taking the decision to send Miller to St Ann's hospital are now "withdrawing and pretending that they were not involved".
According to Miller's colleagues, said Browne, the Minister was seen interacting and speaking to her (Miller) before she was dragged off to the mental asylum.
House Speaker Wade Mark interjected and cautioned Browne to not bring the conduct of a Minister into question.
"It is clear that senior officials from the Ministry of Gender Child and Youth Development were very much involved in the decision to abuse the rights of this citizen and invoke the Mental Health Act in a manner in which in should never be implemented in a democratic society," Browne continued.
He noted that people who stood up for their rights were forcibly taken to mental hospitals back in the 1940s in the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics).
This approach, he said, must never be taken in this country.
"Any citizen can get to work on a normal morning and be concerned that the Government can call the mental health team to haul them away to a psychiatric hospital, this was not someone ranting and raving on the streets," said Browne.
Mark again intervened advising Browne that he cannot base his entire contribution on the Mental Health Act and he needs to make a connection to the Bill which deals with procurement.
Browne said the connection was clear- someone from the Ministry sought to procure the services of a mental institution to forcibly hospitalise Miller in abuse of the Mental Health Act. See Page 12 Opinion