YESTERDAY’S Sunday Observer provided the intriguing information that, for the first time ever, the Medical Association of Jamaica — founded in 1872 — met with a Jamaican prime minister.

Mrs Portia Simpson Miller and president of the medical association, Dr John Hall, are said to have discussed a range of issues central to medical care.

Given the stresses and strains affecting the medical sector—- often reported on in this newspaper and other media outlets — it is clear that there needs to be close contact between Government and the various professional groups.

Yet, another article has given us cause for disquiet on this score. The story headlined ‘Miss Universe Jamaica finalist declares war on lupus’ is essentially about Miss Zandrea Bailey’s battle with the life-draining disease lupus, and her commitment to make a “difference” in the campaign to overcome the disease.

Our concern here is with her version of the response she got from hospitals during her period of crisis with her medical condition, when, as she puts it, she felt close to death.

Miss Bailey claims that, as her father sought desperately to get her the expert treatment she needed, she was turned away from one public sector hospital because “exams were in progress and they would not be admitting anyone unless it was critical”.

Miss Bailey observes with more than a hint of bitterness that “I guess my condition wasn’t critical enough”.

Even more alarming, perhaps, Miss Bailey tells us she was turned away from a leading private hospital because she was unable to pay $75,000 up front. She would have also been required to find an additional $75,000 nightly. Even after she was admitted to another public hospital, Miss Bailey seems to give the impression that she received the attention she required largely because a doctor knew her from their days at university.

This newspaper passes no judgement. To begin with, we have not heard the other sides of the story. Yet, Jamaicans have heard such stories before. Stories which, it seems to us, fly in the face of the Hippocratic Oath to which, as we understand it, medical doctors and allied personnel are sworn. But do they observe it?

We are not naïve; we recognise that health care in Jamaica is desperately underresourced — a situation which will not improve in a hurry because of the country’s dire economic state. Also, we recognise that some hospitals and other medical institutions are businesses — some barely managing to survive.

Yet, surely there is a line that must not be crossed in the business of caring for and saving lives?

The issues involved here are no doubt touchy and difficult. But it seems to us that all stakeholders, including the media, Government, medical-care facilities and practitioners, and organisations such as the medical association need to ask and answer questions. They should ensure there is a policy, definitive and transparent, regarding that line which should not be crossed.