A voice of reason

October 8, 2004

Dear Sir,

The recent publicity surrounding Mental Health Awareness Week has prompted me to write this letter. I?m currently an outpatient of St. Brendan?s Hospital. In fact, I spent two weeks there as a patient. No, there isn?t a history of mental illness in my family. It happened as a result of tremendous stress at work and too many nights working late to meet deadlines. You could say I almost fried my brains. My department was and has been very supportive. But I work for a large organisation. If others knew I?d be treated like a reject.

How do I know? I?ve known of others in our organisation that have been committed to SBH as a result of stress. I watched and listened to the way staff treated and talked about them. So, I join the many others who they now consider mentally ill. I consider myself ?in the closet?. The truth is, I?ll never be able to come out of that closet and confess my insidious past.

My experience there was good and bad. In my opinion, many of the staff require sensitivity training. One nurse treated me rough because I didn?t make my bed and change the linens. In all honesty, I thought it was like King Edward; it was someone else?s responsibility to do that sort of thing. No one informed me of the rules. Many of the staff knew me at least by face, but they treated me as though they didn?t.

Before, they smiled and greeted me. But after, they looked at me with a blank face and then turned their heads. Most of them kept it strictly business: ?Your food is here!? and ?It?s time for meds!? Unfortunately, that didn?t make me feel as though I was of human value. I spent some time on Somers Annex. It was the worst! It wasn?t because it?s the so-called ?lock down ward?, but because... how can I describe it? It had the feeling of a 1940?s film version of an insane asylum.

I would like to thank the following persons who showed real compassion during my stay. Susan Clarke (team leader) who occasionally played cards with me on her break, which helped me feel as though I didn?t have the plague. Harvey Knotts (dietary porter) who simply came by one day to chat with me during his break, which really lifted my spirits. Ryvan Ramsa (nurse aide) who occasionally smiled and made brief conversation while handing me drink. Kelly Darrell (unit assistant) with whom I had a brief conversation; she generated a huge smile that stretched from her soul. Linda Outerbridge (mental welfare officer) for her incredible sensitivity. Their personalities reach out beyond just doing their job.

While the care at SBH provides for the physical needs of a person, i.e. food, medication and a roof over your head; they need to develop a more holistic approach to mental healthcare. Although I write anonymously, lets just say I work for an organisation that?s expected to lead the way in the delivery of quality healthcare in Bermuda.

PATIENT

Sandys Parish

Get rid of rental scooters

October 5, 2004

Dear Sir,

The tragic death last weekend of American tourist Rosemary Bigelow should motivate us to take a good hard look at how we can make Bermuda a safer tourist destination for our guests. One of the great things about our Island is the freedom our guests have to move around and explore the island at will. I do not propose that we take steps to limit this freedom, however if we are going to continue to promote the rental bike as a mode of transportation for tourists in Bermuda, we need to take measures to ensure this activity is as safe as possible.

I believe that bike rental agencies should phase out the scooter and bring back the big-wheeled step-through bikes. Big-wheeled step-through bikes like the Dalems and the old Peugeot 105s are more like the bicycles which most of these tourists have ridden before. They have a lower centre of gravity than the scooters, making them far more stable, they are much easier for vertically challenged persons to put their feet down when they stop and when you give them gas they have a much smoother response than the scooters.

Many of the scooters being rented to tourists are dangerous in that when you give them gas nothing happens for a second and then all of a sudden they kick in and send you rocketing forward. This is especially true of rental bikes that take a beating and often aren?t tuned up properly, and this could have contributed to the tragedy which occurred last weekend. Whether my suggestion of phasing out the scooter makes sense or not, we simply cannot let incidents like this occur without making every possible effort to prevent them from happening again in the future. My heart goes out to the Bigelow family and friends.

T.S.

City of Hamilton

Form your own opinion

October 8, 2004

Dear Sir,

I really must take Ms Jessie Moniz to task for her review of the G&S production, ?Into the Woods?, today. This is a very complex production. The music, lighting, sound effects etc. are very challenging. In the final analysis, I think she quite liked the interpretation and could have spent more time just on judging this production. However, Ms Moniz obviously did not like the play. She spent two thirds of her critique telling us.

She was confused, criticised the central theme and certain dynamics within the play. Greater talents have already declared ?Into the Woods? a masterpiece and the play has been lauded on both sides of the Atlantic. The Bermuda public should be allowed to form their own opinion on ?Into the Woods? without having Ms Moniz?s views rammed down their throats for most of her review.

ALSO NOT A GREAT SONDHEIM FAN

City of Hamilton

Another nail in the coffin

October 6, 2004

Dear Sir,

After recently selling my car, I decided to catch a few buses and what an eye-opener that was! After witnessing constant verbal abuse towards tourists and locals alike, I have to ask whether our drivers go through special training to be so rude or whether they are selected for their natural shortcomings in the areas of basic politeness?

Simple questions or polite greetings are routinely answered with an incomprehensible grunt, eye contact is rare, apathy and indifference omnipresent. I guess locals are used to this,although why they accept it I will never understand, but what about our visitors? Yet another nail in the coffin of our dying tourism discipline.

THE WARY TRANSGRESSOR

Warwick

Obstetricians respond

October 6, 2004

Dear Sir,

We read with interest the article in The Royal Gazette of 27 September 2004. We congratulate Ms Cannonier and Mr. Watson on the delivery of their baby. However, we have some concerns about her delivery apparently without support from health care professionals. As obstetricians our overriding concern is the well-being and safety of pregnant women and their babies.

The delivery of a baby is certainly a natural and momentous process, which is uncomplicated most of the time. Unfortunately, as evidenced by the high maternal mortality rate in developing countries, the process can go wrong. Some complications can be anticipated, but the failure of the newborn to establish regular breathing, or sudden heavy bleeding from the mother can occur without warning. These can be life threatening. We believe that delivery of a baby should take place in an environment where complications can be appropriately treated and the risk of long-term problem minimised.

At present, we do not think the infrastructure and back-up services are available to make home delivery as safe as delivery in hospital. The Maternity Unit at King Edward makes every effort to be flexible and comply with particular requests that women and their partners may have with respect to labour and delivery. This may not match the intimacy of a home, but we feel that it provides an environment which respects clients and their wishes, whilst maximising safety ? our most important concern.

TERRYLYNNE EMERY

IAN C. FULTON

EMMA L. ROBINSON

DALE WILMOT

WENDY WOODS

Breaking the law

October 7, 2004

Dear Sir,

Some years ago, a well known industrialist made a quote. ?There is no such thing as a big problem. Small problems allowed to accumulate, make the big problem.? Let?s take car licence plates. The Minister of Transport introduced vanity licence plates. I believe the reason for this was to get extra revenue. I assume that the Motor Car Act was amended to allow this. However as soon as this was done. The car agents introduced their own ?Vanity Plates? some of which are difficult to read at distance of 20 feet. The Motor Car Act states quite clearly the design of a licence plates. Why can?t we stay with, the Act?

STICK WITH THE RULES

A complaint

September 27, 2004

Dear Sir,

What ever happened to good customer service? For months now, I?ve been charged by Bermuda Waterworks for water, which I do not need. For years now, I?ve had access to Bermuda (Watlington) Waterworks. They have a valve right on my property, which does not close properly. Due to this, water is slowly going through the valve which at the end of the month adds up to about $200.

Just last month with all the rain we had, my tank was overflowing, but I still got charged almost $300. I?ve called Waterworks and all they can say is ?well it?s your problem?. Why can?t they just go there and change the valve? All they do is go there close the valve with some type of tool (I know this because you see the marks around the valve, which if it closed properly would not be needed) and put a lock on it, and tell me I have to get my own valve, because in their eyes their valve is working properly.

If the valve is closing, as it should why am I still getting charged? When I asked, all they could say was ?someone is opening the valve?. The only people who touch that valve are me and my fianc?e, which we haven?t in several months and I really don?t think someone would just go into my yard, turn on the valve so water could go into my tank as they implied. This has been going on for months now.

MY CUP OVERFLOWETH

Warwick