I have had to really think about writing these thoughts of mine for a long time. To write or not to write was the question. The struggle has been difficult but ultimately the spirit that beliefs in pricking the missionary position won and yes the debate is once again open. It was so disturbing when the news of the intended deportation of this immigrant suffering from cancer Ama Sumani surfaced. Ms Sumani had been receiving dialysis at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff for more than a year after cancer damaged her kidneys. Many kind hearted people knowing how human life was dear to the British people irrespective of where the person originates from thought no government policy will follow through such a death sentence. Her solicitor said: “If she doesn’t get dialysis she will be dead within two or three weeks.“Her prognosis is terminal; if she does have treatment you are only looking at 12 months. We were wrong. Ama was sent to Ghana so she could go and continue her treatment and then eventually die. She told reporters before her removal that dialysis was not available in her home town and even if it was she could not afford it.

“Where I am staying is in a village and there is no hospital, there is only a clinic,” she said. “That machine is only in Accra (Ghana’s capital) and I do not know Accra at all.”

On January 9, 2008, Ama Sumani, 39, was taken from the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, in a wheelchair before 8am and then to Heathrow for her good riddance flight to Accra, Ghana.

Ghana is a wonderful place. 8 out of ten Ghanaians you meet in the street will tell you they rather wish they lived in Ghana. Even those who are struggling through illegal means to survive here have the same feeling. They want to go home but not to go and die. Not to go and add to the plight of the family.

Ama a widow was the worst kind of an example to send home when everyone knew of her situation.

When she dies the matter will become an important headline news item again.

Experts of all kinds will get the chance to appear on morning, afternoon and evening shows to speak good English justifying the decision to send her home or otherwise.

That is what happens everyday. But could nothing have been done for this poor lady who comes from at least a commonwealth nation? A nation that for centuries provided human manpower, gold, diamond, cocoa and the like to propel this economy?

Could more politicians not have joined hands with the few that stood up, Could more religious leaders including those who cut their collars on TV, celebrity chefs, charity concerns, human rights campaigners, Pop stars etc, not draw so much attention to her plight so that a reversal of a seemingly bad policy could be reversed? Or is it a case that the silent majority supported such a measure so who ever waded into this did so at the peril of their own future.

There is no doubt in the fact that the type of care and treatment of setting diseases is of a much higher quality here than in most third world countries. These governments are struggling with just simple malaria preventive measures. Forget about the so called corruption that happens in these countries. If they are corrupt, they do it in tandem with foreign partners.

They send the money they steal here to keep in banks, educate their children in the best schools and practically spend their ill gotten wealth to enrich this economy. When it comes to health care, the rich and able of these societies come here to check their body (MOT) periodically. They know that the health care system is better here.

In Ama Sumani’s case in which she needs a dialysis machine in Ghana in order to live for the projected 12 months, according to statistics in the scientific journal Nature, there are only 10 dialysis machines for a population of 20 million. Yet, sadly enough she was politely sent home. That is really sad indeed. But I will also want to appreciated what the kind benevolent donor did by paying for Ama’s treatment for the first 3 months.

Then in comes the wonderful salvation news a few weeks after the Ama Sumani removal case had died down. “A Dorset monkey sanctuary has saved 88 monkeys from confinement in small cages in a Chilean laboratory in the world’s biggest rescue mission of its kind.

Monkey World took two days to fly the 88 capuchin monkeys - some of which were kept in solitary cages for up to 20 years - to its Wareham sanctuary. The monkeys, aged between two and 30, were today enjoying their new freedom after spending years only being taken out for medical experiments and never seeing daylight.”

This might sound very cynical and mischievous but when a human being is flown home to die and monkeys are flown in to live, then it tells of a story that is selfexplanatory.

Yes, your judgment is as good as mine. The lives of animals sometimes matter more than that of (certain) human beings. Like many people who think this way do not begrudge any activity that is aimed at preserving lives be it animal or human.

The question however that remains to be answered is could Great Britain not save both Ama and the monkeys?

If Ms. Sumani’s remained here would her health care cost have created a recession here?

Britain by such unfortunate questionable actions is gradually loosing the battle of being the moral voice of the world and should that battle be lost, Britain will no longer be Great.