COVID-19 is not a “political issue”, but a “life lesson issue”, says Hall-Watson
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Senate President Dr Mildred Hall-Watson today announced she had received notice from a senator about “health needed by one of our members” and advised colleagues in the Upper Chamber to do whatever their hearts told them to, as “today it might be that member; tomorrow it could be any other member in here”.
While she did not name the member or the nature of the health needed.
When contacted, Attorney General Carl Bethel said the matter was non-COVID-related, and concerned a senator’s parents who needed “immediate surgical interventions”.
“..I think all of us have received today, a notice from one of our senators about health needed by one of our members, and remember that we may be in opposition politically, but we are not in opposition as human beings,” Hall-Watson said following the passage of a resolution to extend the state of emergency in The Bahamas to October 31.
“And so, I think we need to pay attention to the notice and do whatever it is that your heart tells you to do because today it might be that member; tomorrow it could be any other member in here.
“So, if there is anything that you can do to assist, then I would ask that you seriously consider it.”
Before addressing the matter, Hall-Watson echoed the sentiments of several senators, who thanked healthcare workers for their ongoing efforts in the fight against the virus.
The senate president reflected on the wide-reaching spread of the coronavirus, the loss of life to date, and her experience being “very, very closely exposed to COVID”.
“I had an experience where I also was very, very closely exposed to COVID, and I give God thanks that I continue to function as normal without the experience that Dr [Michael] Darville had,” she said.
Darville tested positive for the virus in August and recovered.
He has since resumed parliamentary proceedings and contributed to debate this morning.
Hall-Watson continued: “And I know it must be a very difficult situation to go through because every day I have to deal with the fact that my daughter comes home, into my home, our home, having potentially been exposed to multiple people every day.
“I think we all have to pay attention to the fact that this is an extremely serious illness and as I’m sure the public is aware we had individuals whose lives have been lost, particularly in the area in which I work for various reasons of course — and not all related to the care that they were given, but the point is the lives have been lost,” she said.
“So, we need to take this very, very seriously. It is not a political issue. It is a life lesson issue. It’s a health issue.”
