My experience with health service

THE EDITOR: On April 14, some time between midnight and dawn, my 87-year-old diabetic wife became unresponsive to the normal medication I use when her sugar level drops. Recognising this I immediately called the emergency ambulance at the St James Health Centre.

In approximately 40 minutes an ambulance arrived at my home in Diego Martin, with two very courteous and attentive paramedics who attended to her. However, she remained unresponsive and had to be taken to the St James Medical Centre where she was placed on a comfortable mobile stretcher.

Within 45 minutes she was examined by a doctor. I was then informed that she had to be sent to the Port of Spain General Hospital as soon as a bed became available.

Unaccustomed to the level of service at our public health institutions, except for what is published in the media, I became very concerned as to what was awaiting my wife, having grown accustomed to the costly services provided by the private medical institutions, both home and abroad. Under the circumstances, I was left with almost no choice but to follow the advice received.

She overnighted at the medical centre and was subsequently sent to the Accident and Emergency Department at the hospital. I visited her that Monday afternoon. I must admit I became, to put it mildly, a little concerned having encountered some discomforting procedures before seeing her. In retrospect, I realised this is the first line of service for all those in the city and its suburbs 24 hours a day.

I was informed of the state of her condition by a very courteous doctor and nursing assistant. My wife, unaccustomed to medical service at our public health institutions, appeared to be reasonably comfortable. Her only complaint was not seeing me the night before.

The following day, I returned to the Accident and Emergency Department where I was then informed that she had been transferred to the COSTAATT Female Ward, and I was advised of the visiting hours.

I returned Tuesday to see her. It was my first time at a ward in a public health institution. I was pleasantly surprised at the cleanliness of the ward, the courtesy of the staff, the availability of information by the medics, nurses and all the other assistants, the way they responded to my inquisitive questions, and their professional conduct.

She spent three nights at this ward without any complaints, except for missing her home-cooked food, she being placed on a rigid diet.

At age 92 I am a realistic, objective and patriotic citizen. I continue to live in the real world, not in the paradise to come, or the yet to be discovered utopia. I am therefore aware that any institution of this magnitude, basically free to all citizens, will encounter problems from time to time; no excuse for mismanagement and/or inefficiency.

In this happy land of my birth, where freeness, the dependency syndrome and lawlessness have now become the rule rather than the exception, and no property tax nor increase in public utility rates, we continue to expect and demand more and pay less.

A few weeks ago, two nights at a private medical institution cost me $21,000. No complaints.

My wife is now back home, not fully recovered but feeling much better. On her discharge she was given a bag of prescription medication and has received calls about the state of her recovery, and the dates of her follow-up visits.

My satisfaction with this courteous and professional free service to my wife leaves me with no alternative but to publicly thank the Minister of Health and kindly request him to convey these sentiments on behalf of my wife and myself to all those responsible.

From my experience at medical institutions, both at home and aboard, they never get it right all the time. We, however, are doing pretty well.

FERDIE FERREIRA

via e-mail