The English idiom you have to be cruel to be kind does not apply to this occasion

Wednesday, 15 June 2011 was a memorable day for a fourteen year old school boy Andre Abela and for his family. Andre was awarded the medal by President George Abela after the Peace Lab chose him to receive the award Pope John XXIII for Kindness. A very big well done to this youngster who certainly should be a role model to us all. He managed to find the time to visit and keep in touch with a school mate who was sick with leukemia, even when things got worse. He did so until his friend passed away. A big thanks goes also to the Peace Lab, especially Fr Dionysius Mintoff, who for more than 40 years have been awarding this award to a person for his or her kind deeds.

Is there a scope in today’s world to have these sorts of awards? My answer to this is definitely yes. We need these role models and we need these people to remind us that today, we still can take care of others in spite of our busy schedules, and that we need to go back to basics. And what is the basic in society? In my opinion to take care of each other and be concerned about each other is vital to help reduce the pain that a person can experience. Andre Abela teaches us that although he could not cure him he was his healer during these bad months of his illness. He also found a way to communicate with him and spent enough time by his bedside to make the sick boy happy in spite of his grave illness. And yes we have to celebrate these events. I am sure that there are many others who like Andre take care of sick people. There are those who do it out of altruism and those who do it for work. In both cases the same compassion and understanding should be there, may be even more in the latter since it is their job and duty to take care of the sick.

I am sure that in the health sector a lot of professionals do their best to ease the pain and the problems that the patients and their relatives experience. But like in every job there are those who put their colleagues in bad light. Even in small things, things can improve, for example in the way an operator working at the hospital answers the phone or calls a patient for an appointment. It is a known fact that many people do acknowledge the great work that many professionals who work in various health institutions do. But like in every work-place there are those that do not perform their work to the best of their ability and in an acceptable manner. Maybe in an office it can pass unnoticed but the nature of work in the health sector demands a different attitude and will not pass unnoticed for sure.

Last week I was also present for the opening ceremony of a project which was coordinated by the Commission for Persons with Disability in order to promote and also be a visible showcase for persons with disability to live independently. The title of this project was ‘Constructing and Equipping an Independent Living Centre at Hal Far’. The Centre is named after Sonia Tanti who was a determined person that in spite of her disability, wanted to live independently and also drive among other things. I am sure that this Centre could help inspire other persons with disability to be ambitious and aspire to live independently as a person.

This Centre serves also to convey a message to those who unfortunately look at persons with disability in a negative way. These people who we call disabled have a lot to give to society in different ways. Today the means are there for these people to be able to show to everyone their abilities and as such contribute actively to society. Thank God we Maltese went a long way where people with disability are concerned. First it was the Church who started taking care of these people and then the Labour Party followed with a number of initiatives including legislative actions to literally get these people out of their homes. With the setting up of the Commission in 1987 things continued to improve and today we arrived at having this Centre. I do hope that the things I saw which definitely will help them to live independently will also be financially accessible to those who need them.

Finally I do agree with what the Prime Minister said on that occasion that what we are doing is their right and should not be seen as a favour. Yes, these people have every right that the so called ‘normal’ people have. We are duty-bound to make their life easier and provide the necessary set-up for them to live an independent life as much as possible.

Carmelo Abela MP is Labour Main Spokesperson for Social Policy

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