Hospitals Board quiet on negligence claims

The Bermuda Hospitals Board was unable to comment last night on complaints by a former tennis pro that his right leg was amputated almost two years ago as a result of alleged medical negligence at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

Mr. Eldridge Smith had been in a collision with a car on South Shore Road, when he broke the ankle of his left leg and his right leg.

After receiving medical treatment at the hospital, he had his right leg amputated. He was later airlifted to Johns Hopkins Hospital, in Maryland, where a rod was inserted into his left leg.

Also two years on, the man who collided with Mr. Smith has not been brought to justice. BHB acting director of quality and risk management Judy Richardson said: "The Bermuda Hospital's Board takes patient complaints extremely seriously and we began reading an 8,000 page file regarding Eldridge Smith first thing this morning.

"But due to patient confidentiality we are unable to comment further without the permission from the patient."

Police were not able to comment at Press time last night.

Short Senate session expected today

Senate should be in for a short session today as none of the items on the agenda is scheduled to be debated.

Auditor General Larry Dennis' report, financial statements and Consolidated Fund statements for 2002, as well as the Consumer Affairs Department's report will simply be tabled because they have not yet been debated in the House of Assembly. And bills to upgrade motor cycle helmet regulations and amend rules for registering children will be held over for debate until next week.

Customs officers attend terrorism summit

Two of Bermuda's leading Customs officers attended a regional summit on the Caribbean last week focussing on terrorism and organised crime. Collector of Customs Winniefred Fostine DeSilva and officer Stephen Perinchief represented the Island at the 25th annual conference of the Caribbean Customs Law Enforcement Council in the Turks and Caicos Islands on November 14.

Bermuda was re-elected to the executive council of the 38 member organisation, and Mrs. Fostine DeSilva made a presentation on the joint work done by the Island's Police and Customs teams.

The conference pledged to further increase co-operation between member states.

Customs officers from the US, Canada, UK, France, the Netherlands and Spain were also there.