Money-hungry specialist

THE EDITOR: My son went to an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor for two years because he has an ear problem and at the time he went to Mt Hope Children’s Hospital.

They did not have the medication to treat my son. I decided to take him to a specialist. I told the doctor “before any operation let’s try medication to see if it will work, if it don’t then he will have to have the operation” because I did not have the amount of money for an operation. He agreed but I realised as months turned to a year the medication would work, but then the problem will come again, so I realised he would have to have an operation. But I don’t have the money so I decided I will write the relevant authority, whoever could help.

The Minister of Health responded but he needed a letter from the doctor indicating what is the cost of the operation and what type of operation, so he could help in whatever way. Do you know the doctor is refusing to give me a letter? He is telling me to go to a private practitioner to get a letter to refer my son to Mt Hope to get the operation done for free. But Mt Hope does not perform free operations for children. What is wrong with our specialist? All the time he was taking my money and not telling me that when I don’t have any more to spend I cannot get a simple letter. What next?

KATHY ANN SMITH
San Juan