Dear Editor,

“Whenever a doctor cannot do good, he must be kept from doing harm” words taken from a quote of Hippocrates.

Doctors are those amongst us who have dedicated their life to study and provide care for the sick among us. The best ones are those who, despite the challenges, still can maintain their humanity and show love and care to all patients; they are truly a great part of any society and we appreciate them.

On another note, some doctors are incompetent and uncaring individuals and are a threat to their patients.

A recent experience of a friend at Bustamante Hospital highlights this clearly. After taking her two-year-old for medical attention when she presented with an awful smell from her nose, the head of the ‘assessment department’ told her, with an awful demeanour, nothing was wrong with the child and it was just mucus. Being the adamant parent she is, the child was taken elsewhere and a stone the size of a marble was found in the child’s nose.

Now I’m certain if diligence was taken at the hospital the diagnosis would have been done there. As one who has authority over others some level of diligence and dedication is required. How many doctors in our health care system are like this?

On a number of occasions our health care system has been brought into disrepute because of incidents like Jason Forbes, who died on the floor of the Spanish Town Hospital after complaining about stomach pains. The pain of his death is embedded in the way he died after waiting for hours and was not attended to until the following morning. How many cases like Forbes will we see?

Minister Ferguson, let me implore you to evaluate those working in our health services to measure their level of competence and “bedside manner”.

To our nation’s doctors, nurses and other health workers who always give their best, I salute you, you truly deserve our admiration.

K Edwards

kenroy.edwards1@gmail.com

kennykae@blogspot.com