Dear Editor,
When dealing with a Cancer patient ZVK should be more sympathetic and compassionate. The fright and stress alone of being told that one has cancer is hard to handle.
But for persons that do not know one thing about you other than what they read in your medical file, to be in charge of deciding your faith and can determine the outcome of your treatment is unacceptable.
My name is Sandra Rogers-Gibbs and I am 73 years young and I reside on the island of Statia. I was originally sent to Colombia for a check-up of a surgery I had earlier this year and while there I suddenly received a phone call that I had breast cancer. That is a very hard blow for anyone let alone getting this news while in a foreign country. Since I was already there, my doctor forwarded all the relevant documents pertaining to my breast cancer to Colombia.
I accepted my faith and did what the doctors suggested, knowing it was in my best interest. I had a total left breast mastectomy including the lymph nodes under my arm. The oncologist said I would need two different types of chemo and recommended I start as soon as possible as I had stage III cancer. It's because of the way I was treated in Colombia and the compassion and kindness that was extended to me by all involved, even strangers that it was so upsetting for me to learn that my chemo was denied.
Had I have known from the beginning that I would potentially have to do the follow up of Chemo or Radiation elsewhere than Colombia I never would have agreed to the surgery.
So, for Bonaire to deny my treatment is a hard pill to swallow. One’s life, no matter the age should not be more valuable than the other, especially when dealing with cancer. We are talking about a deadly disease not a common cold.
What makes the life of a Bonairean more valuable than that of a Statian? There are persons in Colombia from Bonaire and Saba receiving chemo because they have no faith in receiving the proper treatment on their respective (surrounding) islands. It's hard to understand how a Bonairean is not told to have chemo in Curaçao because it's closer but a Statian has to return from Colombia where they can get the best treatment possible to go to SXM to have chemo. Most importantly one must take into consideration the fact that medical health care in Colombia is far cheaper than the USA or the Netherlands. ZVK should be mindful of the fact that numerous persons from the islands who were receiving treatment in Colombia and were sent back to the islands for chemo to receive treatment in SXM have eventually ended up dead!
I had the support of my surgeon, oncologist and International Office in Colombia whose hands were all tied even though they all thought it would be in my best interest to stay there where they were already familiar with my case and ready to help me. Based on their advice I made a last ditch attempt on Monday, September 5, and called the Bonaire office to speak to a medical advisor about my case. In speaking to him the connection was lost twice. The saddest and most disrespectful fact is that in speaking to one of the medical advisors in Bonaire I was told that he can approve for the chemo to start ASAP but the hotel cost would have to be paid by me personally. This is unheard of and an injustice to the highest extent.
On the third try that I called back I was told that he was in a meeting discussing my case and I would be hearing back from them soon. Knowing that I already had my ticket to travel back the following day and it was almost 5 in the afternoon Bonaire time, I called back to see what had been decided and to my disappointment I was told the answer was "NO"! I thanked the gentleman for his time and told him I would be contacting the media and Internet via Facebook and the ombudsman.
I Therefore plead to you the ombudsman to intervene in this matter and help me in getting this situation resolved ASAP as I would feel more comfortable being referred back to Colombia to receive the treatment I desperately need.
But most importantly implore you to see to it that there are clear guidelines across the board for all citizens of the BES Islands and each and every person residing on these islands should be treated equally!!
Fighting to live,
Sandra Rogers-Gibbs,
Cherry Tree,
St. Eustatius
