Dear Editor,

I have been living in the UK for many years. Earlier this year I had to visit Jamaica to see my dad who had spent two weeks at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI).

His care, unfortunately, was only marginal — much less than was expected from such a well-established hospital. My dad is seriously ill and while in hospital he developed a condition that has left him somewhat worse off.

I understand that the nurses there are stretched, and during the time I visited dad at the hospital, before he was discharged, I got the sense that the nurses lacked motivation, which probably led to my dad leaving in a worse-off condition.

This is really disappointing, especially as this happened in a well-known teaching hospital where I’m sure dozens of health-care students pass through on a yearly basis. One would think that with such a designation as a university hospital the care and the facilities would be of a higher standard.

A $4.9-billion upgrade is in the pipeline for the hospital. What about the clinical staff — those nurses who appear to be overworked and underpaid? An upgrade in personnel and leadership style is urgently needed as well so that patient care can be more complete; so that nurses and other staff will be more motivated and there is greater job satisfaction.

That’s what makes for a truly great hospital!

R Wilson

United Kingdom

goodguy@btinternet.com