The value of life
We have just celebrated St Valentine’s Day. In celebrating this feast day of love, we celebrate each other’s life!
Being a medical doctor for almost 29 years, I am daily awed by the great privilege I have to meet patients and their families and so many other persons from various sectors. In all this, I touch lives and each of these persons leaves their unique and indelible imprint on mine.
I have had the honour to meet patients of all ages, from premature babies to very elderly persons. Each and every one of these encounters has positively contributed to who I am today.
In the light of my experience, I feel deeply saddened by the current discussions on abortion and euthanasia. I do not condemn the persons who agree with these views but I certainly condemn these actions. Mothers with unplanned pregnancies and their families must be supported during and after their pregnancy. Persons whose lives might seem unbearable to us must be supported to live their lives to their natural end with dignity. Whenever there is a will, there is always a way!
A mother once asked me whether I ever got used to seeing babies being born. I had never thought about this. I stopped to think and the answer came back to me like a shot: “No, I said.” Even being on duty as a doctor, during those moments, welcoming a new life into our world is always an indescribably profound experience, even when things do not go well.
I have also stood by the bedside of persons who were breathing their last breaths. Just as we care for and support patients to live, it is essential that we care for and support them through this last natural stage of their lives. This is also important to avoid unnecessary anguish for their relatives as they grieve the death of their loved one. In even considering euthanasia, do we realise that we are actually drawing up our own death sentence?
Roberto Benigni, in the tragic film Life is Beautiful, still insists that life is beautiful! Is it possible that we are losing sight of what our life, other persons’ lives and life in all of creation is really all about? It would greatly benefit each and every one of us to daily take time to stop and truly ‘see’ the value of all of life around us.
Albert Einstein proved to be not only a genius in science but also a genius in wisdom and humility when he said: “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
I sincerely hope that we will all, wisely and humbly, live “as though everything is a miracle”.
Marvic Sammut – Mosta
National unity
President George Vella has called for a conference on national unity. Photo: DOIPresident George Vella’s national unity initiative deserves support. Last week’s editorial addresses the parlous national situation thoughtfully and realistically.
Columnists Kristina Chetcuti and Manuel Delia, moreover, have the ‘heavy duty’ issues covered. I would like to highlight three points:
The social media is often used as a vehicle for violent hate and fake news and creates divisions in society. Mr President, if you have any influence at all, use it to muzzle certain people and their media. Talking of ‘unity’ while burying one’s head in the sand will get us nowhere.
We should proudly foster our Maltese language. However, apart from the fact that English is also our national language, not to mention the global lingua franca spoken, the Maltese ‘either/or’ dichotomy is toxic and also comical, given such a dependence on tourism. Returning to Malta after a lifetime overseas, it was shocking to find that English had deteriorated alarmingly, compared to many other countries where people have become more fluent. We are shooting ourselves in the foot with this pig-headed attitude towards anybody who speaks English.
Constructive criticism is necessary in a democracy. Unfortunately, the Maltese psyche doesn’t react very well to this and objective criticism is usually taken personally. The result is another national speciality: a grudge which lasts a lifetime and is bequeathed to one’s heirs.
Good luck with this conference. I hope it is not scheduled for April 1.
Anna Micallef – Sliema
The cartoon on page 19 of last week’s issue says a lot.
It is very positive for the President George Vella to propose a national conference on national unity.
However, I think that Vella has hopes for the Maltese to forget about all those scandals highlighted in the cartoon. In my humble opinion, Vella’s call came a bit early. He should urge his mates in government to sort out these outstanding issues before any national unity can be even considered.
Mario Dingli – Sliema
Queues of people waiting to be vaccinated
On January 15, I was invited by the health department for my COVID-19 vaccination at the Gżira primary health centre at 2.45pm. When I arrived, the security guard gave me a numbered ticket and told me to join the queue in the street.
After waiting for 45 minutes, I checked whether there was a hitch in the system. I asked four persons leaving the clinic what they went through and they all told me that the actual vaccination lasted a few minutes. However, they were made to sit down for 15 minutes in case they experienced any side effects.
When my turn came, I was made to wait in the corridor for 15 minutes after being given my vaccination. I noticed that three other persons were sitting down in the same corridor at a distance of about two metres apart, waiting to be dismissed.
Hence, it was obvious that the huge delay was caused by a lack of space available for people to wait for a quarter of an hour after being inoculated. Surely, a solution can be found. All that is needed is some more space.
Perhaps the Church could be asked by the government to offer its churches for people to wait for 15 minutes after getting their jab. The actual vaccinations could take place in a mobile unit which would be parked close to a church.
Joseph Xuereb – San Ġwann
‘Modernising’ Malta
Those who are attempting to ‘modernise’ Malta think that they can run before they can walk.
For instance, new roads and flyovers are being built and tunnels dug while ignoring the bad state of existing roads in our towns and villages.
The work created through the building of new roads and flyovers is attracting more foreign workers who will need accommodation. Consequently, large apartment blocks and high-rise buildings are being built in place of houses as well as on virgin land.
The supply of water to high-rise buildings requires a high pressure and this is bound to cause water wastage. To make up for some of this wastage, households are now being supplied with a plate scraper.
Angelo Polidano – Attard
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