Dear Editor,
Because Saxacalli is in Region Three it is serviced by a medical team from the West Demerara hospital. Clinic day which provides pre and post-natal immunization and out patients services is on the second Tuesday of the month. On 13th February, Ramona Moore presented her infant daughter who was overdue for a yellow fever vaccine to the Saxacalli clinic only to be told that because her child was the only one due for the vaccine it could not be administered. Apparently these vaccines come in a container and when the container is opened vaccines not used would spoil and would have to be discarded. The mother was advised to go to the Parika clinic on any Thursday and return to the Saxacalli health post the following clinic day, which was Tuesday March 13. Editor, to travel from Saxacalli to Parika a round trip of some fifty-six miles by boat was too expensive for this family of six, who are exceedingly poor. So the mother returned with the child on 13th March to the Saxacalli clinic only to be told that she should go to the Parika clinic. Realizing the importance of this vaccine the father of the child decided to spend the only money in his possession to take the child to the Parika clinic on Thursday the 13th March. They presented themselves at the Parika clinic at 9 am where they waited until 12 noon, only to be told that because there were only four children the vaccine could not be given and that they should return the next Thursday. Editor this poor family left their home at 5 am and returned at 7 pm having expended ten thousand dollars, only to be pushed around by uncaring persons. I would like to ask the Minister of Health if the life of a child is more important than a few vaccines or not? Who will refund the money this family spent at the whim of others? In all fairness this money should be reimbursed. Obviously the public health sector is in a mess. Our health post at Saxacalli is always short of basic drugs. Although ministers receive huge salaries and allowances at the expense of taxpayers, they are mostly sleeping and dreaming.
Yours faithfully,
E C Lobert
