harsh criticism from a local resident yesterday.

Ms Karen Cross of Pembroke complained in a letter to The Royal Gazette this week of the lack of interest shown to her friend by doctors when she took a friend, who was bleeding profusely, to the emergency ward recently.

And she claimed that while there a nurse told her: "Off the record, something has to be done about these doctors. This type of thing happens too often.'' Saying she "wholeheartedly agrees with the Fishers'', Ms Cross charged it is time medical professionals "are held accountable for their actions''.

Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Fisher last week called for the doctors and nurses who were careless in looking after their young son Justin to be taken to task. Justin died following a routine tonsillectomy.

Acting KEMH Director Mr. George Simons said Ms Cross will be contacted and if she is prepared to give more details the incident will be fully investigated.

He said Ms Cross had not stated the time or date the incident occurred or given any names.

In the letter Ms Cross described how she rushed her friend -- who had recently undergone surgery -- to hospital.

"On our arrival at the hospital, she was taken to an examination room where nurses tried to stop the bleeding,'' Ms Cross said. "A call was made to the surgeon who had performed the surgery, informing him of the arrival of his patient and her condition.

"I was shocked when told that the surgeon said he would not be coming and that another doctor should be called.'' Ms Cross said it took the doctor so long to arrive she "couldn't help but ask if he had come via New York''.

She said her friend was admitted and operated on four days later.

"My questions to (the original) surgeon are: What if it were a matter of life or death? You couldn't tell from your bed. How long would it have taken you just to take the time to find out? Whatever happened to `my patient comes first'?,'' demanded Ms Cross.

Of the nurses and assisting doctors, she asked: "What is the honour amongst the medical profession that allows you to look the other way and keep silent while people are dying unnecessarily...'' " `Off the record' -- does a tragedy such as the one the Fisher family has suffered have to hit home to keep you from looking the other way? Then will you break the silence?'' Mr. Simons added a Patients Bill of Rights is on its way to the printers and should be available to the public in about two months. He said it would explain how a patient can go about making an official complaint about the hospital or its staff.