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"What has endeared him to so many... are
his outstanding qualities as a selfless, compassionate and
generous
human being."
Rosa Mae Bain
Dr
Michael Gomez, better known as Perry, led the
public health response to infectious diseases in The Bahamas for
over three decades, and helped to position that country as a
world leader in HIV/AIDS management. His groundbreaking
use of AZT treatments dramatically reduced mother-to-child
transmission of HIV in pregnant women. He initiated a
partnership between governmental and non-governmental
organisations for purchasing medication, a strategy that was
adopted by other countries.
Michael Perry Gomez was born on 18th January,
1947 in Family Island, The Bahamas. His supportive parents
passed on their love for books, science and service to their
son. He attended Western Junior School and the Government
High School in Nassau, and completed his Bachelor of Medicine,
Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) at The University of the West Indies
in Mona, Jamaica. He continued his studies at the Princess
Margaret Hospital in The Bahamas and completed them at Wayne
State University in Detroit, Michigan. There, he finished
a research fellowship in infectious diseases in 1975.
In 1977, Dr Gomez returned to The Bahamas and
became the Infectious Diseases Consultant at the Princess
Margaret Hospital, a job that required him to manage and prevent
outbreaks of contagious diseases. After the country's
first case of HIV/AIDS was confirmed in 1985, the government
chose him as the National Director of the HIV/AIDS Programme.
Knowing that HIV/AIDS could impact all Bahamians, he asked for
help form every ministry and international organisation that
would assist him, and combined their aid into an effective
response. Through this programme which was emulated
throughout the Caribbean, many health professionals, teachers
and workers were trained to help limit the spread of the
disease and to provide care and support for AIDS patients.
Dr Perry Gomez has published articles in
medical journals and lectured at several universities. He
has been consulted by the Joint United Nations Programme on
HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the
Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC).
 During
a three-year period, the number of HIV patients receiving
anti-retroviral drugs tripled, and both the number of people
dying from AIDS and the number of pregnant women with the HIV
virus were reduced by half.
Dr Gomez's compassion
has kept him directly involved in the battle against HIV/AIDS.
He counsels new patients and treats many of them himself.
He makes sure that his co-workers and the doctors under his
training can reach him at any time. He also hosts
conferences and workshops to train other Caribbean doctors and
encourages other Caribbean countries to help each other in the
fight against AIDS. Because of his reputation and skills,
he is a popular speaker and consultant in the field.
He advises young people
to have big dreams, set goals, stay focused, love life, be
cautious, work hard and pursue excellence.
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