Don't make excuses for doctors

THE EDITOR: Referring to the bacterial infection which the seven babies died from earlier this month, Dr Petronella Manning-Alleyne said, “I don’t know anything about those organisms. They did not exist when I was working in the hospital." (Newsday, April 30)

Manning-Alleyne was speaking as an authority on neonatal intensive care.

The goodly doctor also went on to berate the legal counsel that the parents sought after the tragedies of their infants’ deaths. Imagine the parents’ constitutional right to seek counsel is being berated and demonised. Such disgrace!

I expect no human being in their right mind to allow seeing their children in a good state of health, lose their life and not seek answers. With the lack of transparency with the state under this administration, to the average citizen there was no other option than to send pre-action protocol letters and eventually haul the regional health authority to court.

To the doctor, you may not understand, but these parents are patriots. They are seeking genuine answers for their children’s deaths and by doing so may save many hundreds of neonate.

I pray that the parents receive the justice they seek.

I pray that professionals should not come across as apologists for failing institutions. The nation expects better of you.

GANESHAM GOPICHAND

via e-mail