He did it his way - and rightly so

Letters to the editor - For such a personal undertaking, it certainly caused quite the public debate.

Last Monday, the provincial government announced Premier Danny Williams would have heart surgery in the United States. For privacy reasons, neither the exact nature of the surgery, the date of the operation, or the location of the hospital were disclosed.

And upon hearing the surgery went well and the Premier was recovering (which we're told it was and he is), one would think that would be the end of the story.

Instead, Premier Williams' private medical matters became fodder for both the national media and the masses.

Many said the surgery highlighted some sort of two-tiered healthcare system in Canada, where those with a certain amount of wealth could obtain better healthcare than the average Joe.

Well, truth be told, most people who could afford to pay for a life-saving operation would do exactly the same as the Premier. And why not? The Premier's health is ultimately his own business and he needs to do what's best for him.

In addition, we don't actually know what kind of surgery the Premier had. Many people from this province find themselves travelling for procedures not available in our area. How many of us have had to hike it to Corner Brook, St. John's or elsewhere because the medical expertise wasn't available in Bay St. George?

Kathy Dunderdale, the province's acting premier, stated the Premier was unable to have his medical procedure performed in this province and it was recommended he leave the province for treatment. That doesn't sound so odd or different, does it?

And while it might have seemed more politically correct that the Premier stay in this province or country, at least he wasn't seen taking advantage of his status or level or power to skip ahead of somebody else waiting for the same procedure.

Minister Dunderdale said the Premier would be more forthcoming about his surgery and the decisions surrounding it once he's back on his feet. While we can't guess at what he'll say, we do look forward to hearing and seeing Premier Williams once he's feeling better. Until then, we wish the Premier well in his recovery and look forward to his return at the province's helm.

Christopher Vaughan

Kindale Corner