World Mental Health Day 2023 has come and gone – the international observance was held on October 10. On that day, healthcare professionals in more than 150 countries would have done their best to highlight the various facets of the problems related to mental health, or the lack thereof. Unfortunately, though – as is the case with many similar observances – some politicians would have paid lip service to the event by reading a few remarks written by one of their speechwriters – and then carried on with the main business of filling their pockets and consolidating their power.
Guyana’s Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, delivered a speech as may have been expected. However, it appears that the minister made very little mention of health. Instead, Dr. Anthony’s remarks focused almost exclusively on the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and how much the administration is doing for the health sector, and so on. His remarks were all about politics.
The minister is – first and foremost – a medical doctor. Dr. Anthony attended the People’s Friendship University in Russia where he studied medicine and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree. He also attended Hebrew University where he obtained a Master’s in Public Health degree. The learned medical doctor – the Minister of Health – failed to emphasise the health aspects and purposes of World Mental Health Day. Instead, the event was used to present remarks to glorify his political party. The annual observance is a big deal – many territories have extended the observance to more than just one day.
When medical doctors speak about medical issues, people pay attention. At the very least, the minister may have mentioned that a healthy mental state is an essential part of overall good health – a fact that is too often overlooked by politicians, yet, is usually emphasised by medical professionals.
