I read with some amazement that the US (and Canada) promised to provide assistance in the event Bermuda suffered serious damage from a category three or four hurricane.

On the surface, that's great, but I would like someone to explain to me why that money could not be used to clean up the pollution that they (the US) left in the first place? Unfortunately there are some of us who will defend the US at any cost quoting the well worn (out) adage `...that's another matter'.

No I don't think so! The FBI is fighting this same scenario in the private sector. Think about it.

C.K. SIMONS JR.

Sandys Parish I was `well-qualified' October 6, 1999 Dear Sir, I am writing to challenge the statement attributed to Wayne Furbert in an article written by Henry Adderley on Page 2 of the October 5 edition of The Royal Gazette . Mr. Furbert is quoted as saying that I was not fully qualified for the post (of chief executive officer of the Bermuda Hospitals Board).

For the record, when I assumed that position in July 1994, I had 28 years of acute healthcare experience in California. From 1988 to 1994, I was the Medical Administrator of Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Richmond California. I was a Registered Nurse with a BSc and a MBA degree from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. Additionally, I had completed post graduate courses in Advance Management and Executive Development from the University of California at Berkeley and Stanford University, respectively. I was an associate member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and had served in leadership positions on community and professional committees and boards.

The requirements for the chief executive officer position in Bermuda as advertised were: A graduate degree in healthcare management or a related discipline, and a minimum of five years of acute healthcare experience in a senior management position, along with other personal attributes such as strong communications and interpersonal skills.

I was sought after by the Bermuda Hospital Board because of my qualifications and experience and the fact that I was a Bermudian, for several years prior to my acceptance of the position.

Upon my appointment, the May 29, 1992 press release from the Bermuda Hospitals Board read as follows: "The Hospitals Board is proud to have been able to attract such a well-qualified Bermudian for this demanding post.'' I hope that this information sets the record straight.

SHEILA MANDERSON Pembroke Discontent in hospital September 15, 1999 Dear Sir, It seems to me that people in authority need to listen carefully to those that serve them, whether by contract or any such other agreement.

In our King Edward VII Memorial Hospital we have at great expense, produced a pretty medical facade that houses a lot of discontent within. No point in asking why, the grievances being aired bit by bit are pretty good indicators.

There is never smoke without some fire and the implication that the past, and now the present administration has been less than democratic in its dealings and, in fact, is seriously wanting, when it comes to extending appreciation towards the work force -- those professionals upon whom we, the patients, so heavily depend.

Every large organisation with a respectably high personnel roster, needs a supervisory body and every change in an administration's policy is likely to be criticised. Therefore, when a person becomes the spokesman for such a responsible authority, he needs to be very careful he doesn't display the same human failings that reflect too closely, those of others who may have gone before, again failing to establish open dialogue within all departments.

The Hospital's Board is responsible for the operation of King Edward VII, and St. Brendan's and the policies by which they are run. These policies incorporate the comprehensive medical expertise that generates quality care inside their walls. These work in tandem with a nursing staff proficiency that many years of training and hard work have brought to the bedside of countless patients -- the patients who as far as I know have never been petitioned for their point of view.

The hospital I remember from years past was efficient and friendly and contained a comfortable atmosphere where now I feel a sense of unease tiptoeing about behind the scenes. These caregivers are genuinely tired, stressed out and to a certain extent, depressed, by what can only be described as an unsympathetic atmosphere. I commend them on their ability to maintain their professional focus on the patient, in spite of occasionally negative undercurrents -- particularly those that undermine the peace of mind of our very necessary expatriate staffers.

A forthright endeavour, seen to be done, to heal festering wounds promptly would not be taken amiss by a watchful community whose own possibly pending hospitalization might then be approached with less concern.

A CONCERNED WATCHER Devonshire Drugs don't work in sport October 4, 1999 Dear Sir, Mr. Walton Brown has recently spoken against the drug testing policies of the Bermuda Council for Drug-free Sport (BCDS). Most recently, he provided an "Opinion'', contained in your paper of 27 September 1999. As the body with the responsibility for co-ordinating and leading Bermuda's efforts to reduce the harms associated with the use of alcohol and other substances, the National Drug Commission (NDC) finds it necessary to respond to some of the comments presented by Mr. Brown.

In his written opinion of September 27, Mr. Brown accepts that "if we came together as a community, the problems associated with substance abuse could be minimised significantly''. On this point, we agree. He also proposes that two key principles shaped this vision: A focus on harm reduction and a less punitive approach to social problems. He indicates that harsh measures and scare tactics, which he describes as supply control techniques, have little impact in reducing substances abuse. Certainly Mr. Brown is aware that supply control does not necessarily involve the use of harsh measures and scare tactics. He is also aware that perhaps the most effective approaches to reducing substance abuse involve a combination of supply control efforts and demand reduction efforts working together.

Mr. Brown takes particular umbrage with the policies of the Bermuda Council for Drug-free Sport. He implies that the policy was adopted in response to the arrest of Bermudian football players for attempting to import marijuana into the United States and that it is designed as a means of identifying drug traffickers. Certainly, the arrest of the football players added impetus to the need to address drugs in sport. But the arrests were not and are not the only reason for the policy, the policy's purpose is not to identify drug traffickers.

In other settings, Mr. Brown has implied that the BCDS policy is contrary to the intent of the 1991 Archibald National Drug Strategy as it is punitive.

This policy, as does any effective policy, has consequences for non-compliance. International sporting organisations have taken a strong stand against drug in sport. Their consequences can be quite stringent in comparison to those of the BCDS. In an effort to ensure that the focus of the policy remains on assisting players to play with substance and not with substances, the BCDS has recently agreed to a change in the policy. Prior to this change, anyone failing a drug test was liable to a suspension from the sport for which they were being tested for one year. With the change, such persons are only suspended from international competitions. They remain eligible for domestic sport if they agree to participate in a counselling programme.

The National Drug Commission has been involved with the development of the Bermuda Council for Drug-free Sport since its inception. For us, it evolved from our Drugs Don't Play Here alliance of sporting organisations. This alliance existed to reduce the use of drugs in sport. It parallels another of our initiatives, Drugs Don't Work Here. This alliance has led to the development of drug-free workplace policies. Such policies now exist in several of our hotels and a policy is currently being developed for our Public Service. Several other companies have, on their own initiative, realising the benefits of a drug-free workplace, developed similar policies. All of these policies make provision for the appropriate use of drug testing. Within this context, the drug-free sport initiative can be seen as another example of the National Drug Commission working with our community to introduce measures to combat the negative impact of drugs. This is a realistic and appropriate method to reduce the harms associated with the use of alcohol and other drugs.

Mr Brown acknowledges that drug testing is designed to ensure a level playing field and that it reflects a concern for athletes' health. We agree. However, we are concerned about the health of not solely the international, or elite, athlete. We are concerned about the health of all Bermudians, in the workplace, in sports, or wherever they may be. Far from being in conflict with the 1991 Archibald Strategy, health is presented there as the primary reason for drug testing. Drug testing can be a means to help individuals focus on those things that are most important to them. It can provide a motivation for decisions. After all, persons who participate at the national level begin at the recreational level. We must give the message that drug use in sport is not helpful to sporting endeavours at any level. If one intends to compete at an international level, what better place to begin practising good sportsmanship than at the recreational level? The random testing of up to ten per cent of the sports population is designed to help in this effort.

It remans to be seen whether or not this policy will "decimate certain sports''. We believe that, in the long run, the reduction of drug use in our community can be nothing but positive for Bermuda.

DERRICK S. BINNS PhD Chief Executive Officer National Drugs Commission Get your facts straight October 6, 1999 Dear Sir, I have just finished reading Graeme Outerbridge's Letter to the Editor in the October 6, 1999 Royal Gazette and wish to address the following comments to him: I must admit your comments about your actions during the hurricane still puzzle me to this day. I was not there at Dolphin Quest (DQ) when you claim to have rescued the dolphin from the net but I was there shortly after when you were going through the crowd spreading your propaganda. According to your own timeline published in the paper the day after the hurricane I was at the facility less than 15 minutes after your daring rescue.

I find it remarkable that you were completely dry after you admit to jumping down onto the breakwater in between surges. Anyone who saw the surge during Hurricane Gert knows the waves were crashing ashore on a continuous basis and for you not to get wet and to avoid getting injured is quite amazing.

You will likely claim it only took a few seconds which is even more amazing that a 500 pound mammal "trapped in netting'' was freed so quickly by one man who did not get wet. You truly are a hero. As for your actions after the rescue, I could not help but wonder why someone would go through the crowd spouting off about an organisation without obtaining all the facts. It then dawned on me that you were trying to extend your 15 minutes of fame even if it meant trashing an organisation that is dedicated to the preservation and understanding of one of the most intelligent creatures on this planet. In an effort to obtain all the facts, I inquired as to why staff did not monitor the facility. If the staff members were visible to the dolphins they would have popped their heads above the water to see that person being inquisitive animals. The picture of the dolphin in the debris was actually caused by you being down there attracting the dolphin to the surface risking injury to the dolphin.

As for your comment indicating that "Dolphin Quest should never have allowed a breeding programme to take place'', I am curious how someone who is against human interference would advent a programme to restrict the natural act of procreation.

In summary I wish you would speak to some of the many children in Bermuda who have gone on school trips to Dolphin Quest (free of charge) for an experience of a lifetime. Perhaps once you have witnessed the amazement in their eyes and their new appreciation in maintaining a healthy ocean for these and other animals you might decide to focus your actions in helping to keep Dolphin Quest in Bermuda instead of trying to chase them away.

GARY CAMPBELL Southampton Praise for employees The following was sent to Lorraine Lyle, President & CEO Bermuda Telephone Company and copied to The Royal Gazette .

July 26, 1999 Dear Ms. Lyle, I thought it was important to take a few minutes to give some recognition to a few BTC employees who have assisted us with various problems we've experienced with phone/fax lines.

Ms. Jannel West telephoned me on July 20 in response to my fax of the day before (copy attached) to advise she was looking into things for me.

On the morning of July 21, Mr. Scott Pacheco came to our office with a work order to address the modem line problem. He had this fixed in short order and while he was here I asked if there was anything at all he could do about our fax line problem. Before too long, that too had been fixed and our faxes routed back to that number. I don't know why we had not been able to have this fixed more than two months ago, but I'm grateful for his initiative! In the meantime, I have requested Ms West check into the billing problem mentioned in the memo.

I would also like to mention Antoine Fubler. We had your SMDR interface set up in our office earlier this year and have needed to make some changes as staff come and go. Antoine has always responded quickly and cheerfully to our needs and it's a pleasure to deal with him.

MARGARET CROUCHER Office Manager AAC Integrated Communications