Port-of-Spain – It was good news for Prime Minister Patrick Manning at the end of last year having successfully undergone surgery in Havana, Cuba, to remove a malignant tumour in his left kidney. The surgery was done free of charge by the government of Cuba on December 17.
Manning is no stranger to medical attention from the Cuban authorities. In 1998, he had heart surgery with a valve replacement. He later had a pacemaker installed. In 2004, he underwent eye laser surgery.
Questions were raised about whether it was unethical for Manning to accept such a gift from the Raul Castro-led Cuban government. Manning’s response was no questions of integrity arose as this was a State-to-State arrangement and his treatment in Cuba has always been free.
Foreign Affairs Minister Paula Gopie-Scoon said: “I do know that the Prime Minister was insistent that our government should pay. However, I believe that the Government of Cuba insisted that it was done gratis - at their cost. We have had such an extensive and cordial deep friendship with Cuba, as exemplified with the assistance of agriculture as well.”
Trinidad and Tobago has also had Cuban doctors and nurses working in its hospitals to make up for a shortage of doctors.
Manning, who has to return to Cuba every three months for the next year for regular check-ups, said he wants to closely examine Cuban medical technology with the aim of applying some of their efficient methods in Trinidad and Tobago’s health sector, about which there are perennial complaints.
Manning has also been criticized for choosing Cuban medical treatment over that available in Trinidad.
Prakash Ramadhar, deputy political leader of the Congress of the People, said: “The message he has sent out is our medical institutions are not good enough for him.”
Ramadhar spoke about the thousands of people who have to wait long hours at the Port-of-Spain and San Fernando General Hospitals and of the many children who require surgery, but whose parents cannot afford the medical bills.
Manning returned to Port-of-Spain a week ahead of schedule. He surprised many by flying into the capital on Christmas Eve. His flight, made on a Cuban aircraft, included his Cuban doctor Dr Javier Rivero and a head nurse.
Manning was driven straight from Piarco airport in Trinidad to his official residence and diplomatic centre in St Ann’s, where he gave a 35-minute press conference.
Manning, who usually appears at the diplomatic centre in St Ann’s wearing a suit, this time walked in on the media wearing black pants and a blue shirt, saying, “I am back.”
He said only President Maxwell Richards, acting Prime Minister Dr Lenny Saith and PNM party chairman Conrad Enill were informed of his plans to return home early for Christmas.
Manning said he was now cancer-free and needs to recuperate quietly to prepare him to re-enter the world of politics.
It was Manning’s first Christmas at the new residence in St Ann’s, which was constructed using Chinese labour.
He said his condition will not affect his capacity to execute the functions and duties of his office.
Manning said he was dealing with his medical problems so he can return to office with a new vigour to deal with such national issues as dengue – which has resulted in several deaths - and crime.
The national murder rate was 543 killed in 2008. Police have labeled many of the murders as being gang- or drug-related.
There was also heavy flooding that caused millions of dollars of damage to homes, highways, people’s vehicles and infrastructure.
Told that he sometimes sleeps in Parliament, Manning said that was more due to the nonsense that was being spoken in Parliament than his heart condition. He said his heart condition is better than those whose hearts are presumed to be normal.
From the onset, Manning’s prognosis was said to be good. Daily releases about Manning’s condition from the government said he had responded well after surgery.
And while Manning was undergoing surgery in Cuba, his supporters were praying fervently for him, with constitutents at the St Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Mon Repos, San Fernando. Spiritual Baptists also prayed in Woodford Square, Port-of-Spain.
Manning acknowledged people’s prayers for his speedy recovery.
“I feel much better. I am progressing well and please tell everyone that I accept all of the prayers which Trinidad and Tobago has sent my way,” Manning said in a telephone conversation with acting Prime Minister Saith on December 18, the day after he had surgery.
Even Manning’s strongest detractors, within and outside the ruling People’s National Movement, were wishing him well.
Kenneth Valley, fired Trade Minister who said prior to the 2007 general election that Manning was developing dictatorial tendencies, said he was glad to know the surgery went well.
Opposition leader Basdeo Panday also wished him well. Panday, though, made a distinction between Manning, the man, and Manning, the politician.
Panday, who has had heart surgery, said he had sympathy for the man, not the politician, saying that Manning, the politician, had ruined the country.
“As one human being to another, I am sorry that he is ill and I wish him well, but as a politician, I think he has ruined the country and I think the two must be kept separate,” Panday said.
Manning was not the only politician who has been unwell.
Opposition Member of Parliament Vasant Bharath suffered a major heart attack on December 12 and underwent a coronary angiography procedure. Bharath, who said he did not expect heart problems, admitted to not eating on time and sometimes having only one meal a day.
Bharath, a full-time Member of Parliament, said the year was a difficult one with an extremely demanding and difficult workload. It took a toll on his health.
Bharath said he has to undergo more tests in six weeks’ time, and will be back to full steam by mid-January.

Port-of-Spain – Pathologists at the Forensic Sciences Centre were dealing with the first weekend of the year that saw six people murdered. Autopsies were conducted on five victims on Saturday and one on Sunday.
The latest was Anand Marley whose killing pushed the murder toll for the year to six, four short of last years figure around this same period.
Marley, 40, was at the home of a relative in Second Street, Bamboo Settlement, Valsayn, Sunday morning when two armed gunmen entered the house and started shooting around 2 a.m., police said. Marley was shot several times about the body and died at hospital.
Hours earlier, Kenneth Ramsey was approached by a lone gunman and shot dead around 10 p.m. on Saturday while at Mango Alley, Laventille.
Also Curtis Garth, Brenton Greene, Fulton King and Adrian Findley were killed in separate incidents on Saturday.
Greene, King and Findley were shot dead hours apart in Carenage, Laventille and Morvant respectively, while Garth was beaten to death following a dispute in the San Juan market. Investigations are continuing into all six incidents.
King was a State witness who had left the confines of the Witness Protection Programme two weeks ago to lime with friends.
This action proved to be a deadly mistake. He was the State's main witness in the October 5, 2007, murder of G-Unit gang member Kwame Julien.
Police sources say King was scheduled to testify at the murder trial next week.
He was shot dead around 1.45 p.m.

Port-of-Spain – Residents and the business community of Couva are reeling from a spate of robberies over the recent Christmas season and are welcoming the New Year with fear and uncertainty. Over the past few months an increasing number of bandits have been boldly roaming the Southern Main Road in Couva in daylight, robbing customers and business places and, in many instances, leaving people injured and traumatised. President of the Couva/Point Lisas Chamber of Commerce, Ashmeer Mohamed, spoke with the media on some of the attacks on the business community.
He said on December 22, an armed robbery at Victoria Laboratories on the Southern Main Road resulted in the hospitalisation of a pregnant 18-year-old employee. The worker was alone when the men entered and demanded she hand over the money. A hairdresser near the lab said when the bandits left, the worker rushed across to tell them what happened.
“She was hysterical and kept fainting. She ended up at the Couva Hospital where she was treated and later discharged,” the hairdresser said.
Mohamed said on a Sunday early in December, around 11.30 a.m., bandits stormed into V&S Supermarket and robbed them. In late October Abdool’s Supermarket was robbed and the owner, Zorina Abdool, was tied up and locked in the storeroom.
Customers entering and leaving Scotiabank on the Southern Main Road are frequently robbed of their cash and questionable characters are often seen lurking outside the building. Three weeks ago, a market vendor was robbed early in the morning as she came out of the bank, Mohamed said.
“A member of the Chamber went to make a deposit recently and his cash was seized from him,” he said.
Mohamed said the Chamber also was inundated with reports of members’ vehicles being stolen. As a result, “quite a few business people” had migrated and were operating their businesses from abroad.
Mohamed said last year the Chamber requested joint police/ army patrols for Couva, but it never materialised. He said the Couva police did some foot patrols but were kept busy with traffic problems, another major headache in the area. “Couva is not getting the kind of security that makes us feel confident,” Mohamed said.
“As the police are putting more resources in hot spots, bandits are coming to Central. But Couva and Chaguanas are now crime hot spots.” Mohamed said the chamber was still awaiting a response from the National Security Ministry about a crime plan presented to it.
Couva South MP Kelvin Ramnath said his office had received several reports of criminal attacks in the McBean area. He said Dr Rampersad Parasram, a McBean resident, had his house broken into. “They used a crowbar to prise out the burglar proofing,” Ramnath said. The MP said a suspect from a recent Penal shooting incident was held for one of the Couva robberies, but noted that a lot of the crimes are emanating from pockets of areas within the community. “There’s the Couva housing scheme, the Railway Road area and Hell Town in McBean.”
Ramnath said the area had seen a reduction in crime when ASP Ramdath was in charge of the Couva station. Ramdath was recently transferred to the Port-of-Spain division and the move has prompted the penning of a letter of complaint from Ramnath to National Security Minister Martin Joseph.
“Over 500 people were arrested in Couva for various crimes during the five months that Ramdath was here,” Ramnath said. The MP said Ramdath was “unceremoniously” moved out after he made a statement about indiscipline in the police service.
“He made the statement after he was asked about police cars being parked outside rumshops,” Ramnath said.
Ramnath, in his December 23, 2008, letter to Joseph, accused him of discourtesy. “I tried communicating with your self and was put on hold by your secretary who indicated that you will respond to my call, to which you never did to this date. “I wish to remind you that I am an elected Member of Parliament and your discourtesy is unbecoming of the Minister of National Security,” the letter stated.