Colwyn Harding case…System making little strides in handling abuse cases – AFC

  By Zena Henry The Alliance for Change (AFC) is of the view that systems put in place to handle abuse cases are not as effective as they ought to be. This was expressed by party member Cathy Hughes when she followed up on the recent revelations that independent doctors who examined 23-year-old Colwyn Harding found that a foreign object was indeed used in the manner that the young man had related – being forcefully inserted into his rectum.

AFC parliamentarian Cathy Hughes

Hughes explained to media operatives during a press briefing on Thursday that the results of Harding’s examination shows, “a sad state of affairs.”  She said that what comes across from the finding is that, “we have not learnt anything about these abuses.” The AFC member likened the Harding case to the 2009 incident where a teenage boy was burnt on his genitals and when taken to the hospital, a bag was placed over his head. She charged that the system has still not found a way to deal with these cases, where regardless of whom the patient may be, the doctor or medical personnel perform their duty in the best way possible. She questioned the standard patient-doctor relationship where the two parties communicate and based on what is said, the doctor determines the way forward or necessary treatment. Based on the findings from Harding’s examination, Hughes said that it is, “obvious that certain tests were not conducted on the patient.” “The fact that the medical professionals have not put some basic parameters in place to protect their own integrity and to make sure that they are able to look after patients, regardless of whether they are perceived to be a criminal or not… The fact that we haven’t put anything in place and these abuses continue to happen is very worrying,” Hughes stressed. “It means that this time around, the doctors did not even feel the need to do a complete examination;  to even consult with the patient to ask privately/confidentially, what took place or asked how he sustained his injures.” Hughes said she had already recommended that medical professionals put in place systems to see their patients privately, so that important and necessary questions could be asked as it relates to what the patient is visiting about. It is the doctors’ duty, she said, to find out what is the matter with the patient and to get them to speak about their ailment so as to best determine treatment. She added that if a police officer or any security personnel takes someone for medical treatment that person still have the right to speak to their doctor in private and doctors can demand that they speak to their patients in private. Instead, she said, “doctors believe that once a police officer takes a person to the hospital they assume they have to go along with everything is said. They think they don’t have the right to say ‘I’d like to speak to my patient privately or independently.’” That doctor, she said, could ask to see the patient without any police officer or any representative from a penal institution. “The doctor must speak to the patient and ask about what the patient alleges has happened, therefore he can then make a reasonable and informed decision as it relates to what his course of medical treatment would be.”

23-year-old Colwyn Harding while at the GPHC

Hughes’ statement came after Harding’s lawyer and representatives of the Colwyn Harding support group stated earlier in the week that a local independent doctor and doctors in Jamaica found that Harding was abused. The report found that tests were not conducted on the man’s anus/rectum to ascertain the extent of his injures. The independent doctors reportedly found that almost two months after the teen was abused he was still bleeding internally among other things. Medical officials, including senior functionaries at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and Health Minister Bheri Ramsarran had however stated that they found no medical evidence to say that Harding was abused. Police Complaints Authority head Cecil Kennard stated also that there was no evidence to charge any of the ranks for the alleged baton assault committed on Harding.