Letters to the Editor
Newsday
THE EDITOR: The shutdown of Cepep operations in the middle of our rainy season and, more alarmingly, during a dengue-prone period, is nothing short of playing Russian roulette with the lives of citizens.
We have people openly complaining about overgrown drains, clogged waterways, and an explosion of garbage. These are not just unsightly, they are breeding grounds for the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
And while the Health Minister announces a commendable drop in dengue cases, how long will that remain so if one arm of government dismantles the very environmental maintenance that keeps mosquito breeding in check?
The Ministers Public Utilities, Health, and indeed all relevant ministers cannot afford to operate in silos. A decision in one ministry – such as terminating Cepep contracts – has direct, measurable impacts on the operational effectiveness of another ministry. In this case, public health is the obvious casualty.
I implore the Prime Minister to recognise this dangerous disconnect and consider engaging a strategist who can bridge these gaps – someone who can map the persistent overlaps and chain reactions between ministries before policy decisions are made.
These run-on effects are not confined to health and utilities. They ripple through multiple ministries, creating crises that could have been avoided with co-ordinated planning. Until we move from reactive firefighting to proactive governance, the safety, health, and well-being of citizens will remain at risk.
ARON LAMBERT
Trincity