Dear Editor,
On a recent visit (actually my first); to the Fort Wellington Hospital in Region # 5, I was disheartened at the way citizens who were there to access medical attention were treated.
On Friday June 7, 2008, I took my child to this Hospital, where he was examined by the Doctor attached there and I was given the prescriptions and proceeded to uplift the medication from the Hospital’s pharmacy/dispensary. I awaited my turn then handed the prescriptions to a female attendant there who proceeded to dispense the medications, but instead of using the dispenser unit she used her ungloved hands. I asked her why she was not using the dispenser and she said to me: “you want the drugs?” I replied that I did, and was given just two of the prescribed medications on my prescriptions. Then she asked me for a bottle to uplift the amoxicillin suspension. I did not have a bottle ( I had no idea that the hospital had a policy for patients to have their personal bottles to uplift medicine as this was my first visit.) I was advised that across the road from the hospital the little corner stand sold bottles at $40.00 a piece.
Now my issue is not the price but how can I purchase a bottle from somewhere I am uncertain of as to the source of the bottle, the hygiene etc?
I refused to purchase a bottle and so was not given the suspension, which in the first place was supposed to be given in its original 60ml bottle in the powder form and reconstituted, and as I stood there I saw another patient being given this bottle in the original form. I voiced my observation and that female attendant was annoyed because I stood up for my rights.
I asked her name for she was not wearing any form of identification and I indicated to her I was going to complain about her attitude; she told me I could complain to whoever I like. This clearly indicates insubordination and ineffective administration.
The other point is even though I had read my prescriptions and knew what medication I was entitled to uplift, I was not given all that was prescribed. I will now state here that I was prescribed Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS ), Motrim, Septrim, Flagyl and the Amoxcillin suspension but I only received the tablets Septrim and Flagyl, granted I didn’t have a bottle for the suspension, why was I not given the other medication?
Could the Ministers responsible for Health please take note because I am one of the fortunate citizens who consider myself fairly literate, empowered and outspoken whenever my rights as a citizen of this country are being trampled upon but yet I am being treated like a third-class citizen, so what of the grass root citizens, those who are illiterate, differently-abled, or geriatrics.
I would also like to suggest that all Medical/Health Facilities in this country make it mandatory for their employees inclusive of the janitorial staff to have identification badges with their names and designation clearly visible.
Yours faithfully,
Juliet Dukhi
