(Trinidad Express) Dr. Avinash Sawh, the doctor heard in a leaked telephone recording using racist remarks and abusive language towards a now former employee is begging the nation for forgiveness for his hurtful words.
He has also apologised to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and to the former employees for his derogatory remarks.
Sawh issued the apologies this morning during a media conference held at the Port of Spain office of his attorney Martin George.
The Council of the Medical Board of Trinidad and Tobago will meet today on the matter.
However, George indicated this morning that there was no coincidence between that meeting and Sawh’s apology.
Sawh is the owner of Sawh’s Medical Associates located in San Fernando.
“I accept full responsibility for the national outcry that those statements have generated and the hurt that must be felt by the varying sectors of the national community,” Sawh said.
He added that he was also sorry for bringing shame and embarrassment to his family, employees, community and profession.
“I truly regret that I felt the need to express myself in that manner and I understand fully the damaging, dangerous and deleterious effect those statements have had and the far reaching consequences that can flow from reckless spoken words. I should not have allowed myself to succumb to the temptation to express myself in this manner and I give an unreserved undertaking that such an incident will never repeat itself, as those callous words are not a reflection of who I am, either in thought, word or deed,” he said.
What Sawh said
In one recording, released on social media last week Wednesday, a man, said to be the doctor, is heard telling an employee to ask people applying to become nurses at the facility to include a photograph as “ a lot of people don’t want negro nurses dealing with them”.
“A lot of patients racial so we prefer an Indian nurse,” the man is heard saying.
“I just have to do what’s best for my business. It’s a vibes I does get. So just tell all of them applicants to send a photo ID please,” he said.
In another recording, he is in a heated argument with the same employee over why her relative, a Police Officer, was seen inside his facility.
“What the Police doing in the office? He’s a Police and uneducated. He don’t have O’Levels. Them is dunce n******. Police is nobody. Police uneducated so they have their gun and does feel they have power. All of them does take bribe. All of them is paupers,” he said.
He went on to threaten to fire the employee “on the spot” if she ever spoke about going to the Labour Board.
“I don’t care about you and I don’t fraid your father. Your father is a pauper and I’m a multi-millionaire. I don’t fraid no (expletive) body,” he said.
HIS FULL STATEMENT
As a member of the medical profession I have always ensured that in the delivery of health care to the citizens of my country, that considerations such as ethnicity, social class, standing, age gender or orientation has never been a qualifying criteria for the provision of my services.
The Hippocratic Oath which guides my conduct in the discharge of my professional obligations prohibits the engaging in any such action and for the 19 years that I have been a member of the medical profession I have adhered strictly to this requirement.
In fact, my decision to establish a clinic in Phillipine in South Trinidad, was motivated by the intention to provide a service to the less fortunate in our society and the majority of my patients in my private practice are persons of limited means of every colour, creed and race, whom I all serve on a daily basis with dignity respect and humility and my thousands of patients across the multi-ethnic spectrum of our society are indeed a testament to this fact.
To my patients and the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago who are the life blood of my professional career, I wish to apologise unreservedly to you for my crude and careless comments. Your wide and varied ethnic and social make-up, are indeed a living testament to the fact that the comments which fell from my lips, do not represent the manner in which I conduct myself.
I have reflected deeply upon the effect that my comments must have had upon you all and I ask your forgiveness. By my actions, I must have caused you great pain and trepidation and for this I say to Trinidad and Tobago, that I am indeed sorry and remorseful for my actions.
To my employee Arielle I cannot imagine the pain that my statements must have caused you, your family members and your friends. I fell far short of what is expected of not only an employer but a co-worker and the head of an organisation.
I regret my outbursts and I said things that ought never to be told to another human being. I deeply regret my actions and I trust that having been my employee for several years you will know will know that the words that I expressed on that day are not truly reflective of me and my attitude towards you or towards any group in society.
To my family and especially my father, I am sorry and embarrassed for the manner in which I have let you down and the disappointment that I have caused to be visited upon you. I acknowledge that I am responsible for the targets made of that I have you all and it is because of my actions that shame has been brought to bear upon you. My behaviour was not reflective of the values that were generated in me by my parents and my extended Family to.
I can only ask that you forgive me. and the values that I ought to adhere To my fellow members in the Medical Profession, my colleagues, friends and associates whom I have studied with, hung out with and been around, since the days of Mona Campus in Jamaica; you all know me and you know th at those unfortunate statements are not reflective of the Avinash Sawh that you all have known all this time. I however recognize and apologize for the shame hurt and embarrassment which my words would have caused you all and you all know as well as I do, that those words are not reflective of the high standards to which we as Medical professionals are always supposed to hold ourselves up to and I ask that you my Colleagues,
My Friends and Professional Associates, including members of the Medical Board of Trinidad and Tobago I ask that you forgive me and I will commit myself to the necessary sensitivity training and empathetic understanding of all persons who make up this wonderful and beautiful country of ours, so that an incident such as would never occur again.
To the members of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, I apologize for my careless and callous words which sought to typecast and stereotype and denigrate the members of the TTPS and I truly regret my statements in this regard. I have always h eld the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service in the highest esteem and I will commit myself towards working with the ISOS Foundation which is the I Support Our Service Foundation to see in what ways I can make a meaningful and tangible contribution to the de velopment and empowerment of the hardworking and dedicated members of the TTPS.
To my dearly beloved nation of Trinidad and Tobago I say that I am truly and deeply sorry for my actions and statements and for the damage that they have done to the wonderful tapestry of our multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society.
I recognise the effect of what I have done and I assure each Trinidadian and Tobagonian that I will henceforth devote myself to selflessly towards charitable works and social contributions in my efforts to undo the hurt and harm that I have been responsible for inflicting on the Nation and I have started this process by seeking professional help and guidance through this process and to my Nation of Trinidad and Tobago I humble myself before you and beg for your forgiveness and I hope that you can find it in your Hearts to forgive me for my words and actions, for which I am truly sorry.
DR. AVINASH SAWH
