Elderly face disrespectful service at Ministry office

THE EDITOR: Please permit me a space in your esteemed newspaper in order to highlight my disgust with the Aranjuez branch of the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services.

These Social Welfare officers should be trained in the correct manner in which they need to speak to members of the public. Too often, I have observed the inhumane way in which disabled and elderly people are spoken to. It was only last week that I witnessed an officer speaking harshly to an amputee in a wheelchair as well as an elderly woman using a walking stick. These are poor people who are seeking a service and who should be treated with utmost respect. Family members who accompany their elderly loved ones to this office are often refrained from confronting the officers on their cruel behaviour as they know it will cause some form of victimisation. I have also encountered on consecutive Fridays this particular office having their doors locked at 3pm. These Social Welfare officers need to be reminded that they too will one day become senior citizens and would hate to be treated in that manner. So please, listen to yourselves whilst dealing with those persons seeking your assistance.

Also, there is no telephone communication with that office as the telephone lines usually ring off without being answered.

These elderly and disabled persons are faced with having to sometimes pay someone to take them to the office just to get basic questions answered when they can be facilitated by a telephone call.

I am calling upon the Honourable Minister Cherrie-Ann Crichlow-Cockburn to please intervene and retrain these officers in basic etiquette as well as, ensure that the telephones are answered in order to deal with members of the public..

Sumintra Samaroo

via email