Diabetes in Fiji
Dewan Chand, Suva
According to media reports the Minister for Health, Jone Usamate, has reacted with a sense of shock after learning that Fiji is ranked second by the World Life Expectancy Diabetes report.
The number of deaths and limb amputations per year will shock any sane person. The minister has launched a nationwide appeal to Fijians to change their life styles. Diabetes is branded as a life-style disease. It is the greatest killer.
The rapid urbanisation and the rural-urban drift have caused major dislocations in the traditional way of life and traditional eating habits. Fijians now consume more processed food with high salt and sugar contents which result in obesity and high blood pressure. Processed junk foods also use large quantities of preservatives which have cancer causing chemicals. Many imported lollies have chemically laced colourings to attract children who become innocent victims. Even children have diabetes. What a sad state of affairs!
Radio stations keep blaring advertisements throughout the day to brainwash consumers, particularly children, about the sheer pleasure of enjoying sweetened drinks and sugary biscuits. The TV screen keeps flashing uncensored, false and misleading advertisements in our homes. Children take this as gospel truths and imbibe them in their life-styles. What hypocrisy and what nonsense is being paddled in the name of advertisements. Steps must be taken to change advertising laws. Companies must be held responsible for what they advertise. At the moment there seems to be none.
I am of the opinion that multinational companies must not be allowed to sponsor sporting events. In the name of sports we are training our children to drink nothing what has been advertised. This is grossly unfair to our children. Sports personalities have been used to push these products in the market. What a shame! Even the health booklets say drink responsibly. What a farce, who can drink responsibly? None! Alcohol is Satan’s tea.
The world over public hospitals do not allow coke advertisements. However, a restaurant at one of our hospitals has a soft drink advertisement staring at the customers. Can someone please do something to remove the advertisements from the hospital?
The Ministry of Health is doing much to promote awareness about diabetes through its education programmes. Much more needs to be done before we can change the mindset of our people.
A new diabetes centre should be built with ultra-modern facilities and well trained staff to arrest the spread of diabetes.
Reason for 87 coup
Sukha Singh, Labasa
Could Mr Sitiveni Rabuka confirm the reason for the 1987 coup that he thought only the Alliance party was capable of ruling Fiji?
He said on the ‘Close Up’ TV programme that he had this thought from 1977 when the National Federation Party won the election.
Can he also confirm that if the NFP had formed Government in 1977 would the first coup have been in 1977?
TSLB Reform
Rakesh Chandra, Nasinu
Congratulations to Mr Bobby Maharaj for being appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer for the Tertiary Scholarship and Loans Board (TSLB).
The TSLB is in need of major reforms as there are many service related issues plaguing this institution. Mr. Maharaj’s vast experience and diverse qualifications in commerce and law puts him in good stride to bring about the required changes. There is a glimmer of hope amongst the clients of TSLB especially the students that the days of suffering may be coming to an end.
Coldest week
Floyd Robinson, Nasinu
Was this week the coldest week of the year to date?
The nights and early morning have seen temperatures drop to levels which have forced individuals to stay indoors, resort to wearing jackets, jumpers and seeking the comfort of blankets. All in all, a cold week and perhaps more cold days to come. After all, it does get exciting after dark.
Nice attacks
Amenatave Yaconisau, Suva
If French authorities continue to show inability to protect people from terrorist then it’s a big risk to leaders if security services cannot gauge little criminals who overnight graduate into mass murderers.
Certainly we are all agitated by the mad terrorist who plowed into innocent crowd in Nice, France, killing at least 84 people and the death count still continues as I write this letter. It’s such a contradiction when all these people were celebrating Bastille Day and the freedom of French people when the gruesome act took place.
There is no comfort in telling people of counter-terrorist measures when they don’t feel safe in their own country. Such unprovoked violence is hard to pardon and extend mercy, only God can. I also feel sorry for his country of origin and his innocent family who don’t know his heinous thoughts.
The French culture is filled with flames of revolution and revolt and if you put them in harm’s way by creating uncertainty and fear they’ll fight back as in the mighty French Resistance against the Nazis in WWII.
Definitely these are forces that threaten French values and indeed European love of peace need to be controlled. The Europeans need to unite against this scourge or it will be like ‘Count Dracula’ wanting blood from everyone. You need to drive in the stakes now before it fully wakes up.
Issuance of business licences especially where a great number of people gather like airports, stadium and restaurants need to have an armed security component. The next target for these worms could be Rio. Let’s prepare.
Liberty, freedom and fraternity. Vive Le France.
Driving in Fiji
Tomasi Boginiso, Nasinu
With the high number of vehicles on our roads and drivers receiving licences each day, not forgetting the better road conditions, we’re bound to have an accident somehow.
Our main enemy on the roads is the other drivers; we have no idea what they would do next. Most accidents occur is because of the fault of drivers who do the wrong thing at the right time or the right thing at the wrong time. And when accidents occur they seem to be the one talking the most.
All drivers when on the roads should have all their senses in full operation; being careful and alert at all times. On our roads now we have drivers of all ages, both genders, and those without a valid driver’s licence.
So far we have record 27 road fatalities compared to 34 for the same period last year, but the yearly record seems to rise dramatically each year.
Truth and lies
Lawrence Narayan, Suva
Many Christians assume because their spiritual leaders went to Bible Colleges, have degrees in theology and are ordained ministers, they are delivering the truth but it is becoming very obvious many are not.
In the early part of my Christian journey about 30 years ago, I also fell for many of the lies being taught today. However, as I began to question what I was hearing from my spiritual leaders and poured myself into the scriptures, I became painfully aware that I was being deceived and then I began to question them on those issues to which they would not give reasonably good and logical answer. A very interesting Christian article describes the similarity between poison, lies and false teachers.
It stated, just as in the movies, in order to poison someone, the killer would not give the victim poison straight out, that would be too obvious and easily detected by the investigating authorities.
Instead, the killer would introduce a bit of the poison with a good tasting drink, that way it went undetected by the victim and was untraceable.
In the same way, lies are introduced into the church to introduce false teachings straight out into the message would be too obvious. The false teacher would instead gradually over a period of time, mix a bit of the lies together with the truth of God’s words to make it sound true.
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