Disgraceful doctor at SFGH

THE EDITOR: My 15-year-old son broke his leg while playing football at school on Thursday, February 5. He was taken by the paramedics to SFGH and hospitalised until Saturday, February 7 with an appointment to return to Ward 4 on Thursday, February 12. My wife and I took our son for the appointment at 8 am. While walking into the hospital my son slipped on water in the corridor and fell on his broken leg. This subsequently caused one of his bones to be fully dislodged and he was in tremendous pain.

We managed to get a wheelchair and assist him to the ward, whereby he was referred to the X-Ray department, then back to the ward and we were told by the doctors to take him to the plaster room where they would meet us. When the doctors arrived at the plaster room, my wife was told that she could not go in with him. She obliged to their orders and waited outside. On hearing our son screaming in pain she rushed into the plaster room, one particular doctor told her to leave. My wife refused stating that our son is a minor and she had every right to stay with him, as other patients had friends/family with them in the room. The doctor shouted at her to leave, but my wife stood her ground and advised them of her rights and the rights of her son. No more was said to her.

I then arrived at the plaster room, attempted to enter, and was told by a doctor that I could not go in. I accepted this as I knew my wife was with our son and I waited in the waiting area. My wife then emerged from the room and suggested that I would be the better one to stay with our son. I entered the room and was confronted with verbal abuse from a doctor telling me to get out. I politely refused and explained once again that my son was a minor, the doctor shouted that if I did not leave then he would leave. I advised him that that was his choice, he then proceeded to verbally abuse and curse me.

This action was totally uncalled for. I feel that the said doctor needs to be reprimanded severely. How can a doctor in a position of authority be allowed to speak to patients/parents in this manner? It is totally outrageous and unethical. I would like to add that I have a witness to this verbal abuse and I intend to take the matter further, but also feel that this incident needs to be highlighted in your newspaper so that the people of Trinidad and Tobago are aware of how certain races are treated as second class citizens in the SFGH.

F L FRANCIS
San Fernando