By Earl Moxam, Senior Gleaner WriterIRIS COLLINS, Member of Parliament for St. James North West and the lone female elected to the first House of Representatives under Universal Adult Suffrage, moved a resolution during the sitting of Parliament on Wednesday, May 2, 1945, focusing on the plight of the poor who needed medical transportation.
It read: "Whereas free medical attention is provided for persons earning 12 shillings per week. And whereas when these very poor persons get seriously ill and are forced to call the ambulance, they are required to pay heavily for such transportation. And whereas if these persons cannot pay the required amount the ambulance is required to leave the sick person: Be it resolved that free transportation be provided for poor persons who are ill."
FREE TRANSPORTATION
The last line was later amended to read: "Be it resolved that Government considers free transportation be provided for poor persons who are ill."
In justification of her motion, Miss Collins highlighted "more than one case where the ambulance has left people who are sick because they have not been in a position to pay."
Miss Collins' reasoning was that "With these officers (assigned to justify their case for medical assistance) situated in districts few and far between... it is not at all convenient for these sick people to get to the powers of certification to get them to call the ambulance for them."
She therefore recommended that local people be appointed to have the power of certification for calling the ambulance, and that Members of Parlia-ment, "who will know the people most" be given the same power.
As strongly as he felt about the merits of the resolution, Clifford Campbell, JLP member from western Westmore-land, felt equally enthusiastic about the fact that it was brought by Iris Collins, 'the first Lady Member of this Honourable House'! To which his colleagues obligingly chimed in "Hear, hear!"
AMBULANCE
Edward Fagan, JLP mem-ber for St. Andrew Eastern, related an experience which he had only a few days earlier, when a man got hurt 'in the hills'. He explained that a resident phoned the doctor at the hospital asking for the ambulance and was told that the ambulance could not go up to Irish Town, "although we have a main road leading into the district."
Leslie Rose, JLP member for St. Catherine South East, complimented 'the Hon. Lady Member' for bringing the resolution to the House. The practice in Jamaica, he said, was that "When any social benefit is to be extended to the people of this country, those who are least fortunate and those who are financially embarrassed never get a fair share."
Predictably, as signalled earlier by Clifford Campbell, the resolution was easily passed.
While the support was unanimous, however, there was one moment of discord, not related to the resolution itself, but sparked by a comment during the debate.
F.L.B 'Slave Boy' Evans (PNP of Westmoreland Eastern), while giving his support to the resolution, could not resist making the link between the current situation of the poor people and their legacy of slavery and exploitation.
So he addressed the Speaker: "Sir, as a son of a slave of Jamaica to whom this resolution appeals, I beg to second. In truth and in fact the ambulance or ambulances are provided for us who are citizens of Jamaica through slave traffic of old, the result of British imperialism..."
B.B. Coke, the JLP member for St. Elizabeth Southern, hastily intervened with a strong reprimand for Mr. Evans. "I don't think it is fair to the House, especially in times of war, that such things should be said about the result of British imperialism. Such things should be kept in one's mind. I challenge it!"
Mr. Evans was not to be denied, however, as he re-asserted that slavery and British imperialism were historical facts. "The sons and daughters of this country who have already been termed the masses are in truth and in fact the sons and daughters of slavery and no proper legislation has ever been provided for us, and on account of that we suffer in every kind of way from maltreatment by our slave masters, has brought upon us today, suffering from all quarters..."
