Don't make patients suffer more

THE EDITOR: Open letter to Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh.

For the past year our sister has been an outpatient at the Mount Hope Hospital thoracic clinic and the St James Cancer Centre as she has lung cancer.

The doctors and nurses have been remarkable and caring. The problem lies in the hospital administrations as she had to wait almost three months to get the results of a CT scan and biopsy due to the lack of a radiologist's signature. Eventually a radiologist from Arima signed off so we could get the results.

It seems both administrations are heartless as the patients, who are already suffering and anxious about their condition, are kept in limbo, constantly attending the clinic with no results, which are necessary so the oncologists may know how to treat their patients appropriately.

Another huge insult to citizens is the deplorable, dilapidated condition of both the Mount Hope Hospital and the St James Cancer Centre. The root of this problem appears to be that you as minister and your cohorts do not care. We applaud the nurses and doctors who have to work under these archaic conditions daily.

Minister Deyalsingh, you and the ministry you represent have to be more mindful of the people who access these public facilities as they cannot afford to pay for private health services. These patients should be able to feel that they are important and not have to accept the inhumane conditions they presently experience.

We urge you to address these complaints and rectify these conditions so that we are able to be respected as important citizens of our beloved and blessed country.

ANN FRASER

via e-mail