Montserratian calypsonian and mechanic Landis “Shorty” Baker has died in Jamaica, ending a months-long struggle for urgent medical care that Opposition MLA and former Premier Donaldson Romeo had repeatedly described as “inhumane and life-threatening.”
Baker, 63, passed away on the morning of Friday, October 17, at Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay, where he had been receiving treatment since earlier this year. His death comes just two days after Romeo sent a final letter to Governor Harriet Cross, again appealing for humanitarian intervention to secure his evacuation to the United Kingdom or transfer to a better-equipped facility.
In his October 15 letter, Romeo warned that Baker’s condition had reached a critical stage. “Although the Minister’s response refers to the financial assistance being provided to Montserrat, he may not be fully aware of the serious and lasting consequences of the UK’s fragmented and poorly aligned policies,” Romeo wrote. “These have fostered inequity and discrimination across several Territories, particularly within the Caribbean, which are now being widely exposed.”
He said those policies include “the very NHS/Montserrat pre-authorized treatment scheme to which he referred, a programme that remains deeply flawed and continues to exemplify the very disparities that have resulted in predictable harm and, in some cases, loss of life.”
Also read Romeo Warns UK of 48-Hour Window to Save Montserratian Calypsonian “Shorty” Baker
Governor Cross had earlier written to Romeo saying she would defer to Premier Reuben T. Meade and the Ministry of Health as to whether Mr. Baker was eligible for Montserrat’s NHS quota scheme. She reiterated the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) position that “the UK does not ordinarily assist dual nationals in their country of second nationality unless there are human rights or humanitarian violations at play. The FCDO does not cover medical bills for either British or BOT citizens overseas to get them back to the UK or a third country if they are ill while overseas, so this is not a policy that has just been applied to Mr. Baker.”
In his reply, Romeo said Baker, who had lived and worked in Montserrat for more than 15 years, “would not have qualified under the NHS/Montserrat quota of ten, as at the time of his sudden illness he had no relatives or friends in the UK who could provide accommodation and support, a key prerequisite for eligibility.”
“It is therefore understandable that he ended up fund his own travel to Jamaica, thereby saving the Government of Montserrat a substantial sum that would otherwise have been incurred had he been airlifted to Guadeloupe or Trinidad,” he added.
Romeo said the situation had become unbearable: “While your 9 October letter described Mr. Baker’s situation as ‘incredibly difficult,’ it is inhumane and life-threatening. The photos and documents provided show conditions that raise serious humanitarian and human rights concerns.”
He asked whether UK authorities had taken any steps to verify Baker’s condition despite being notified. “Is it humane for a 60-year-old post-surgical patient to survive on intravenous drips for over eight weeks, sleeping across chairs for two weeks and later in a wheelchair for four days? Would such treatment be tolerated under British jurisdiction, even in a prison or detention center for asylum seekers? Has the British Consulate in Jamaica, at the very least, verified these conditions after being notified?”
Romeo said those questions “go to the heart of the UK’s humanitarian obligations, never mind its binding legal obligations under UK, European, and International law and treaties.”
He also highlighted the family’s financial distress: “While the FCDO does not fund overseas medical expenses, I ask whether this also excludes essential nutrition and medication when neither the patient nor his family can pay, and the host country cannot provide them. New invoices dated 12 October show costs exceeding US$3,000 for specialized intravenous feeding formula, now in short supply at Cornwall Regional Hospital. Mr. Baker’s family cannot afford this.”
“The fact that Mr. Baker in Jamaica, Ms. Brown in the UK, and countless others from Montserrat and other BOTs are denied medical care, housing, and other support that is readily provided to asylum seekers is solid proof that better could and should be done for British Citizens, whether naturalised or full British citizens,” Romeo continued.
Responding to the UK’s stance that Baker’s dual nationality complicated his case, Romeo wrote: “While it is evident that Cornwall Regional Hospital in Jamaica is under significant strain and that Mr. Baker’s dual nationality adds complexity to his situation, dual nationality should not nullify this duty. The current policy, as applied, is discriminatory, life-threatening, or plainly deadly. It is unacceptable that a British citizen should knowingly suffer so gravely for so long without aid.”
He reminded the Governor that “the constitutional and moral duty to safeguard a British national abroad cannot be deferred. This responsibility is shared by the Governor, the FCDO, and the Secretary of State.”
Also read History Repeats Itself: Romeo Says Ongoing Medical Evacuation Crises Show Montserrat Still Left Behind
Romeo had called for immediate action to “ensure that Mr. Baker receives ongoing humanitarian and medical support, including essential medication and nutrition,” to “arrange his emergency evacuation to the UK or transfer to a suitable facility in Jamaica,” and to “confirm that the UK’s constitutional responsibilities toward British Overseas Territory citizens in distress are being upheld under UK and International law.”
He concluded with a stark warning: “These actions would embody the humanitarian principles referenced in your letter and reaffirm the United Kingdom’s enduring obligations to all its citizens. We must ensure that the tragic circumstances of June 25, 1997, are never repeated, circumstances so vividly recounted in Governor Savage’s 1998 testimony before the UK International Development Committee and reflected in the coroner’s conclusions regarding the deaths of nineteen individuals.”
Baker’s death has brought deep sadness and frustration through Montserrat’s close-knit Jamaican community, where he was not only a respected mechanic but also a beloved performer on the calypso stage. His passing, following months of appeals for help, is now being seen as a grim symbol of what Romeo and others have called a “life-threatening gap” in the UK’s treatment of citizens from the British Overseas Territories.
Discover more from Discover Montserrat
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
