The photograph showing a blind Madam Esther Maleka lying in bed and the New Paper report, “Poor, too poor for maid (The New Paper, 3 June) has moved me to tears.
I commend the magnanimous gesture of volunteer Madan Mohan Singh.
But, shouldn't public sector officers be empowered to bend rules under exceptional circustances?
The Ministry of Manpower could have provided the extra mile by tying up with the Ministry of National Development to see if the family could apply to purchase a flat.
This, I feel, would be providing first class public service in the 21st century.
People who are sick and in dire need of help need better support.
Looking after a sick person can be extremely exhausting and many a time you are all alone in this world. I know this because I am in the same predicament.
Getting home help services is not always the best solution for the sick who may uncomfortable with unfamiliar caregivers.
All of us will grow old and get sick one day, so let us learn to show more compassion and support for those who are in less than fortunate circumstances, bearing in mind what US author and philospher Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: “What lies behind you and what lies in front of you pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.”
RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO
No comments:
Post a Comment