Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everybody took responsibility for their bad judgment? Instead, we often attempt to justify our mistakes by making ridiculous excuses. And in doing so, we appear tone-deaf, stupid, or out of touch with reality.
For example, on Sunday, December 25, 2022, the State Minister in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, Juliet Cuthbert Flynn, responsible for maternal health, along with private sector partners, and the Gleaner made their annual visit to The Victory Jubilee Hospital, bearing gifts for mothers who gave birth on Christmas Day.
But among the mothers the Minister and company visited was a 14-year-old minor who gave birth to twin boys. And strangely enough, she was the mother the Gleaner chose to highlight in a photo op. But, unfortunately, nobody had the moral fortitude to realise that they were telling other minors that even though the age of consent in Jamaica was 16, it was ok to engage in underage sex and get pregnant.
But good sense would prevail among readers of the Gleaner. And the inclusion of the minor in the program, which included photo opportunities of Cuthbert Flynn and sponsors with the child, would backfire. The ethical and moral lapses triggered a backlash on social media. And the organizers were accused of being insensitive. So, the Gleaner yielded to pressure and scrubbed the article from their website without any explanation.
Instead of apologizing for its mistake, the hospital made an excuse.
And, since The Victoria Jubilee Hospital was one of the organizers of the shameful photo op, it sought to clear the air or save face by saying the parents of the 14-year-old mother had given the hospital permission to include the minor in the Christmas Day recognition. But, instead of apologizing for an unethical and immoral act, the hospital resorted to making excuses.
The junior Minister did not apologize for exercising terrible judgment; she made an unacceptable excuse.
And the Minister was no different. Her excuse was even worst. In a press release, the Health Ministry stated that Cuthbert Flynn was unaware of the mother’s age, while the hospital advised that the girl’s mother gave consent to her participation. How could the Minister not be aware of the child’s age if the hospital had to solicit the parents’ permission to include the child in the photo op? But, again, instead of apologizing, she opted to tell a bald-faced lie.
This unethical behavior has become the norm for the Ministry of Health. You will recall the bacterial outbreak at the Jubilee Hospital earlier this year which Minister Tufton hid from the public. Seven babies died as a result. And when asked why he did not inform the people, the Minister said he did not want the public to panic.