Why it is necessary to initiate a Commission of Inquiry into the measles crisis

https://www.samoaobserver.ws/category/editorial/54771

By Mata'afa Keni Lesa, 14/12/2019

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sa’ilele Malielegaoi’s changing tone on calls for a full Commission of Inquiry to investigate the circumstances, which led to the fatal measles crisis, is a step in the right direction.

The call was made by Samoa’s lone opposition voice, Olo Fiti Vaai, on the pages of your newspaper two weeks ago. By speaking out, Olo merely voiced what many decent thinking people had been muttering under their breaths, since the measles death toll spiralled out of control. Common sense right?

Not really according to Prime Minister Tuilaepa who initially rejected the call, saying it was a typical “political gimmick” by Olo to win points during a very difficult time in this country’s history.

Besides and perhaps the most important factor in all this is the fact that lives have been lost. There needs to be accountability in terms of these deaths.

Last year, the lives of two babies were lost in Savai’i. The tragedy became the subject of a full Commission of Inquiry, which found that the nurses were careless in administering the vaccination.

Criminal charges followed and those two nurses have since been convicted and jailed. Whether we agree or not, that is accountability, transparency and good governance.

The Government needs to do the same with the circumstances that led to the measles crisis. If two nurses have been jailed for the deaths of two babies in Savai’i, how much more is accountability needed over the deaths of more than 70 people?

There are so many questions that need to be answered and these questions should be the subject of a Commission of Inquiry.

Let’s not forget that the health sector, mainly what we know today as the Ministry of Health, has been in a state of turmoil for many, many years.

Speaking of inquiries, let us quickly revisit the findings of the last Commission of Inquiry into the health system. Ladies and gentlemen, the writing was on the wall, alarm bells should have gone off and yet some people were asleep at the wheel.