Dear Editor,
It is with a great amount of sadness that I pen this missive detailing the ordeal my mother experienced as she attempted to get medical attention at the Enmore Polyclinic.
My mother wanted to visit the Georgetown Public Hospital as she was not well, but I suggested she visit the Enmore Clinic as it was a short distance from my home. She visited last week and saw the doctor on duty who ordered that some samples be taken to run some tests. This was done the following day and my mother was told to return on Tuesday, December 11, 2012 for the results and return to the same doctor.
Because of the many hours she spent at the clinic over two days last week, she decided to leave home before 6am on Tuesday, but when she arrived she found that she was not an early bird. She was given a chit which stated that she was the 36th person in line to see the doctor. She waited until after 8am when the doctor started working, and then received the shocking news that the doctor was only seeing 30 persons while the others would have to leave and return another day.
According to my mother she explained to the nurse that she was told to return on that date by the doctor, but the nurse rudely informed her that she would have to leave and return.
Not daunted, my mother got up even earlier and left home at 5.30 am yesterday (Wednesday, December 12) and shortly after she called me and with some excitement in her voice told me she was number 13 in the line to see the doctor. “I must get through this time,” my mother said.
Well, she was wrong, because when the nurse commenced her duty she informed the waiting patients that the doctor was at a function and she would only see ten patients and then only if they wanted refill of medication. My mother was number 13 and no amount of pleading on her part with the nurse helped the situation, and she was forced to leave once again without seeing the doctor who had not arrived up to that point.
My mother is an elderly person and may be suffering from a number of illnesses, and it very sad that this is the manner in which she is treated at a public institution. She has decided not to return to the clinic since she would be going out of town and may now have to visit another clinic.
In the meantime she continues to silently suffer with her aches and pains and nausea. I am ashamed to say at the moment that I am constrained financially, and cannot afford to take her to a private institution.
Is this the free medical service the current administration boasts about?
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)
