Saturday, October 18, 2008 Editorial: Need for medical bulletins
REPORTS about the surgery that Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña underwent in Boston, Massachusetts last Thursday have naturally upped the interest of his constituents, and of his supporters and critics alike, on the status of his treatment.
Stories about the surgery reached the media only because the mayor’s wife Margot texted some city officials who in turn relayed it to reporters, which is a rather informal way to update city residents on the health condition of their mayor.
The problem with an erratic communication setup and limited information, like what is happening now in Osmeña’s case, is that it forces those doing the relaying to try to plug the holes in the story by adding their own interpretation or speculations.
Which is bad because even if he is on leave, Osmeña is still mayor and people have the right to be updated on something that is affecting governance in the city.
Updates
It may not therefore be too much to ask Margot and even the mayor himself to systematize the release of medical bulletins, after all everybody already knows the nature of the illness he is battling against and the complexity of the treatment needed.
Besides, this is also no longer difficult to do despite the distance involved considering the technology available, although this requires additional people to function as spokesperson or to relay the detailed information to City Hall.
The updating need not be daily but at least it must be regular.
Withholding info
Understandably, Osmeña’s camp may find it politically expedient to withhold some information, like what happened before he left for the US when he downplayed the seriousness of his illness obviously to portray a still stable administration party.
It could be politically advantageous in the sense that this will keep his political rivals guessing and ensures that their confidence won’t be boosted by the thought of having an adversary badly crippled, if ever, by the illness of its leader.
But it would be unfair to the mayor’s constituents and to those who regularly voted him into office every time he ran for the post.
