Dear Drs JC and FRF Apologies for the delay in responding to your recent posts. The sun had its hat on in Thornton Heath, it has been wet and windy and I could not resist the temptation to clear the weeds from our neglected small garden. As you are aware, if this is not done, the weeds take over the garden and eventually the field. Just like some of our good Goan organisations that are full of weeds and now dysfunctional and not fit for purpose apart from take, take, take.
Even in Goa today where our people of all ages can be seen to drop litter and choke the soil. The magazine Goa Today in March 2010 documented this. In their issue of July 2014 there is an announcement from the Government of Goa, Department of Science, Technology & Environment with guidelines to "Keep Goa Clean". On the back page of this same issue there is another announcement issued in public interest by Goa Tourism. The slogan reads "If there is anything that we need to dump, its our bad habits" "Naarlu Bab says, "Let's keep Goa clean! "If Goans won't do it for Goa, who will?" So come on everyone pull your finger out and get on with it. Response to JC: 1. Try pronouncing "Kithem santam rae" slowly, I am no good at spelling in our language. In English it means "what are you saying?". I am not sure what google translator says. This reminds me when I started work as a peon my colleagues at work found it difficult to pronounce Fernandes but could say Martina Navratilova quite easily. I then had to ask them to say after me Fer_nan_des and further informed them that "s" at the end comes from Portuguese ancestory and "z" at the end comes from Spanish ancestory. 2. "Unscrupulous doctors" - I concur with you. 3. "Duty of care" - debatable - may not always involve money. 4. You have asked me what company do I keep when I visit Goa? The company I keep normally are with ladies, gentlemen, freaks, reprobates, and fellow Indians from Gujarat, Baroda, Punjab all of who have asked me whether Goans are stupid? and give me examples that I am unable to disagree with. Last October I was very ill in hospital in the UK for almost seven weeks and almost died had it not been for the care and attention by the medical team and a rejection slip by St Peter there was no one about but family close friends and bookface. Since then I have had to limit my activities. While in Goa apart from meeting up with family and friends I prefer to crash out on the beach and do nothing giving mind body a refreshing break ensuring my kidneys are topped up wit fluids and stay hydrated. To answer your question properly and not get this issue a spectator sport can I invite other readers to participate, my suggesting stupid and backward be turned into a Board Game called Stupido. Just like Snakes and Ladders, rolling the dice will either give you peon points, coolie points, etc. and the winner gets Special Status. Perhaps a Games Designer can take this idea on board. Could be worth a fortune. You have reiterated your points under a, b, c, d, e. These are non clinical or life saving but admin where there is a difference between theory and practice. f. 'Faleam' and 'Deu Borem Korum baba' do not help compensate for services provided. I fully agree and you will normally find amongst a group of our people the weakest link will be told when the bill arrives "Farik khor cholea ya", typical Goan. g. & h. My story is not a tirade nor inappropriate, it is a statement of fact and you are at liberty to believe it or not. As for "Gas", had my friend needed oxygen, his oxygen tube was not connected to the oxygen supply, this would have been no laughing matter because he would have ended up brain dead. Response to Dr Ferdinando Dos Reis Falcao Fully agree, in the recent FIFA World Cup the Ghana football team had a Juju man with no juju and the team lost. This is not about witch doctors or faith healers while ignorance is bliss and having "escola ghela" the fact is that my friend had FOOD POISONING, not traveller's diarrhoea. Allow me to add to your list "Travellers taking vaccinations before a holiday should do this one month before departure giiving them time to fall ill before arrival in Goa rather than fall ill in Goa then blame their illness on the state giving it a bad name. General You will recall this thread started on banning bikinis in Goa and evolved into healthcare, perhaps the Goa Government and health insurance companies can draw up a list of facilities to avoid as I am sure there are a lot of good, honest doctors and medical people in Goa state. Doctors and patients need each other to survive. Best wishes. Melvyn Fernandes Thornton Heath, Surrey, United Kingdom 15 July 2014
