FIJI MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
FIJI MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
Monday 1st
June, 2020
Dear Members
Bula Vinaka,
Namaste, Assalamo-alaikum and Noa’ia e mau’ri. We are almost at the half-way
stage for 2020 yet it feels like 2020 has dragged on much longer than that. The
evolution of COVID-19 worldwide shows no sign of letting up anytime soon.
Worldwide, we have over 6 million cases and we are closing in on almost 400,
000 deaths. These are the verified cases and mortalities and we know that the
true numbers may be significantly higher. International tourism as we knew it
has come to a grinding halt. The Economic machinery worldwide has drastically
slowed down and a direct consequence of this is closure of many businesses,
loss of jobs and an increasing burden on Governments to come up with innovative
solutions to help their people. There is uncertainty, which then feeds
suspicion and mistrust which can then manifest itself in some unsavory forms.
Across the world, it is safe to assume that everyone to some degree is
suffering from mental health issues as a direct result of COVID-19. We, as
health professionals, especially those on the frontlines, are not immune from
mental health issues. We may put on a brave face and bravely soldier on, the
truth of the matter is that this crisis steadily chips away at our very core
and I believe that it is important for us to acknowledge this. If we are being
steadily drained off our emotional energy, a time will come when we may be running
on fumes and, for some; they may have already reached this stage. It is
important that we all try and assess our mental and emotional health to gauge
if it is ok for us to continue with status quo or is it time to take a break,
step back and recalibrate? We, as colleagues, need to look out for each other;
we are all running a very long and exhaustive marathon and we need to adopt a
relay strategy whereby those that need to take a break do so whilst the others
keep carrying the baton forwards. Let us develop the ability to be kind and
compassionate to ourselves and be collegial and supportive to our colleagues so
that we may continue to do battle during this war.
Another
important issue I wish to highlight is that of systematic racism. Humanity has
come a way in accepting the fact that all men and women irrespective of any
label that society gives them are equal. The riots and protests that are
currently at fever pitch in Minneapolis and other cities across many states in
America over the death of George Floyd, an African American man, whist being
detained by a white police officer reflect the ongoing fight against systematic
racism. The 13th amendment to the US constitution relating to the
abolition of slavery was passed on January 31, 1865. The 14th Amendment (1868)
guaranteed African Americans citizenship
rights and promised that the federal government would enforce “equal protection
of the laws.” The 15th Amendment (1870)
stated that no one could be denied the right to vote based on “race, color or
previous condition of servitude.” Despite all the efforts by well-intentioned
individuals, the sad statistic that continues to haunt African-Americans is
that 1 in 1000 black men have a lifetime risk of being killed at the hands of
the Police. Systematic racism is not unique to the USA. Sadly, we as human
beings try and somehow “prove” our superiority over our fellow human beings
based on race, gender, religious beliefs, tribes, etc. The concept of “us” and
“them” is a dangerous one and in our pursuit for a utopian society, we must
view ourselves as one; and embrace our diversity. When our fundamentals are
entrenched in equality for all, then we can truly progress and prosper.
Another sad
casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic is our 2020 Annual Scientific conference
which was scheduled for September at the Shangri-La Fijian resort. The
executive committee was waiting to see how were placed at the end of May to
make the call and it has been unanimously decided that due to the inherent
risks and the inability for us to get international participation due to travel
restrictions, we will postpone the conference to next year. We will inform of
the revised dates in due course. We do acknowledge that this may present you
with some challenges in getting your 25 CPD points for 2020. We do encourage
you to attend webinars, do CME activities in your local setting and have it
documented and FMA will advocate on your behalf. Also, our new website is being
developed and will have a link to the World Continuing Education Alliance (WCEA)
website which we subscribe to that will enable you to do as many CME activities
as you wish in a diverse variety of fields. We wish you a blessed June.
Vinaka vakalevu,
Khuda Hafiz, Daniyabaad and Fa’eksia
Dr Basharat Munshi
President
Fiji
Medical Association