Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves on Friday broke the silence of his Unity Labour Party administration on the injuries that have kept him from work this week.
“It’s coming along. Of course, every day it gets better,” he said on Star FM, his party’s radio station.
Reports are that Gonsalves was tossed about and injured in his official vehicle while on his way to the Argyle International Airport last week.
The vehicle is reported to have been braked and swerved to avoid hitting another vehicle that had stopped suddenly.
“The problem really is that you get one of these, I call them opportunistic injuries. The vehicle stops suddenly, had to pull away, you had to instinctively put your hand up and find a place to break your own fall,” said Gonsalves, who turned 71 in August.
“Many of us have had that experience, some with consequences more severe than what happened to me and others far less severe; you know, very mild in some cases; in some cases, nothing at all.
“It just happened that in this case I injured, in the process, my shoulder, my elbow, and my wrist and two fingers — my little finger and another finger on my right hand.
“So they were painful. That was really excruciating pain.”
Gonsalves said that he has seen progress over the past few days.
“…that pain has diminished immensely and the swelling has gone down and I can write with my pen. There is mobility, not yet perfect, but I can carry out my duties, but I have to be careful that I don’t — you know me already. You how I glad hand and shake hand. You know my gregarious nature. I have to try and hold my hand back,” he said.
It is the second time that Gonsalves was injured in his official vehicle.
A few years ago, the prime minister and a member of his security detail had to be flown to Cuba for emergency medical attention after a truck crashed into his motorcade.
I wish you a speedy recovery and complete healing in Jesus’ name Mr. PM
What extracted this coerced revelation?
What I read is not a voluntary telling. It is a capitulation. A capitulation to a pompous subordinate in his office.
This is not good leadership.
Good leadership would have made the arrogant subordinate apologize for treating the public like second-class citizens and reprimand them for shirking their responsibility. Then make him give the report.
Alas, that would have been a sixteen-year surprise.
Instead, the Prime Minister, a week after the incident, tail between his legs, has come to report on the accident and his condition. Just as the underling deemed was his bosss duty.
(To be sure: second-class citizen; A person belonging to a social or political group whose rights and opportunities are inferior to those of the dominant group in a society OED.)
It”s called a seat belt….. use it fool!
he’s seatbelt proof
Seat belt?