‘Bring all children here to die’

THE EDITOR: My baby had a redness in the eyes. I was told by everyone to carry him to Mt Hope Hospital. So I took myself on October 1, from work to carry him. I reached there at 10.30 am, got my son weighed, measured, pressure taken at 11.15 am and was told to sit. At 12.30 - 1.30 my son started to fuss, by then his second bottle was finished. It was hot in the waiting room. I asked if there was any doctor in the hospital. I was looked at and laughed at. My son was in pain. A lot of other children came in that had fever and cold. They were told to wait. If they called that the emergency room, I will not like to see  the non-emergency room because I had to wait for a doctor from 10.30 to 3.45 pm in a hospital for my child to be attended to.

They may as well put up a sign saying “Bring all children here to die” because I still waiting to see a doctor. Only one doctor was there seeing about new born babies but my child’s eyes were not, so I had to let them have it with my mouth till they wanted to bring guards for me. Well, if they only touched me that would have been a different story. But they only wanted more money, more this and that but not doing their job. Last month my son was sick in the USA and was attended to in half an hour’s time. That is service with a smile. Diego Martin Junior Secondary is a good school, just take out the non-learners and everything will be find and put in a serious set of teachers and some police officers in uniform at the school gates on evenings and lunch time to stop the fighting and wayward children.

Patna Village Police station is right at the corner. Some officers could easily go down there for 30 minutes to make sure the children go home as soon as school is over. The Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds (Jr) please help send some of these officers and the Minister of Education, Mrs Hazel Manning please check on these junior secondaries for the teachers are not coming out. If possible, we need some substitute teachers because my son always have free periods or no work because of this. I gave the school a visit and it was true. He hardly has assignments to do and he goes to school for only five hours. It’s a good thing he has classes in the morning because I don’t know what will happen if this thing continues. Please remember these are the youths of the future and the nation. Help my son and other children who are willing to learn.

NATASHA WILLIAMS
Diego Martin