The Editor, Sir:

Let me use this media to applaud Prime Minister Bruce Golding for his gesture/vision of offering services at public hospitals free of charge to patients. However, that is as far as my applause goes.

I had occasion to be at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) since June 1, as a result of a motor vehicular accident that involved my father.

The condition of the ward leaves much to be desired. Areas designated for walking spaces are utilised as bed areas, as a result of the number of patients admitted. I fear that if there is an unfortunate incident, many of these patients would perish.

Given the number of patients to be attended, the nurses and medical staff are stretched beyond measure. I saw, for instance, at one of my visits, where the bedside of my father was soaked (either from water or urine, I cannot say) and upon enquiring for a cleaning equipment to correct the situation I was totally ignored by the nurse.On a second attempt by my mother, she was told that after the visitors departed it would be addressed. My concern was, couldn't that have caused an accident? Couldn't it also lead to a longer recuperation period? When our environment is unhealthy it further compounds the healing process.

PUBLIC FACILITY

Additionally, persons should be aware that not because a public facility is utilised, patients should be treated as less than human. We are all Jamaicans and, therefore, should be respected. I am sure my father would have preferred going to, for e.g., the University Hospital of the West Indies but, the accident happened on Half-Way Tree Road and, as such, the police did what was deemed better in such an emergency, i.e. going to the nearest hospital - and in this case it was the KPH.

I share the frustration of our nursing staff but, like all other areas of public service, the conditions are not as favourable as in the private facilities and, as such, if we're going to serve, let us do it with dignity, as unto God. Nurses should remember the mentor (nurse) they seek to emulate, Florence Nightingale and closer to home, Mary Seacole.

I refuse to be treated as a 'less-than-Jamaican' because circumstances dictate that I use a facility where much more needs to be done to make it into a state-of-the-art facility.

To our Government representatives, in this case the prime minister, something more needs to be done before another unfortunate Armadale situation occurs.

Let us put our heads to the table to ascertain how we can identify projects which would fund these public entities and let us begin with health. My experience is an eye-opener which I want to be a part of correcting.

I am, etc.,

CLAIRE A. CLARKE

claireamclarke@yahoo.com

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