One of the most heartening aspects of the last couple days since the announcement that former Prime Minister Patrick Manning was hospitalised, reportedly with a mild stroke, has been the mature and humane reaction of his political friends and foes. Incumbent Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar instructed that the best of medical care be extended to her predecessor. The assurance that the best the San Fernando Hospital had to offer would be given to Mr Manning was provided by Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan.
It is also satisfying that the doctors at San Fernando General indicated that the hospital and health system here have the capacity to administer to Mr Manning's condition. That the family of Mr Manning feels comfortable with the expertise available locally by indicating that there will not be a call for Cuban doctors to be brought to T&T adds confidence to the assurances from the doctors. Then there was Basdeo Panday, the long-standing political opponent of Mr Manning, immediately turning up at the bedside of the former leader of the PNM. That must have been a refreshing sight: The two former leaders of their parties and the nation greeting each other, one undergoing difficult health problems, the other, who himself has had health difficulties over the years, seeking to cheer him up.
And one can imagine Mr Panday, given his known capacity for humour, even in times of difficulty, seeking to engage Mr Manning as a means of looking on the bright side of his present condition. But, of course, Mr Panday, who can be counted upon to do the unordinary, turned up with his daughter, Mikela, adding the very warm and particularly Trini practice of referring to older people, even when they are not blood relatives, as "uncle" as a mark of respect. So too was it good to know that the present leader of the PNM, Dr Keith Rowley and a number of Mr Manning's PNM MP colleagues visited him at the hospital, whether or not they got to be in the sick room of Mr Manning.
This newspaper joins with the family, friends and political PNM family of the former Prime Minister to wish him a speedy and full recovery. At 65, Mr Manning remains a mature man with loads of experiences to share in one capacity or the other with the nation of Trinidad and Tobago. Having spent 41 long years in the service of the country in Parliament-both in government and opposition-with 13 of those years in the very demanding seat of the Prime Minister, Mr Manning deserves the best health treatment the country can extend to him personally. So too should his wife Hazel and his two sons and other close relatives be extended the courtesies of the hospital in San Fernando as they pray with and attend their loved one.
In this respect, those of a praying spirit should heed the call of Mrs Manning to pray for her husband as he seeks to climb over this particular hurdle facing him. We are known to be a praying people of generous spirit so it is expected that we would respond positively to the request whatever our religious backgrounds. We say the response of political friends and foes is encouraging because too often in our national life, whether it be in politics or not, we do not readily display concern for the other person. And that is always sad as the society is one which has a historical past of close village and community life with neighbours (and not merely those who live in close juxtaposition to each other) looking out for those who they come into contact with. Get better soon, Mr Manning. You have the prayers of the nation with you.