Hospital low on anaesthetic, dental clinic leaves patients in pain, and Board of Guardians payments overdue, poor people cry

Vulnerable residents continue to be disadvantaged by the poor
provision of government services, several persons are complaining
to REAL News.

Reports reaching our Newsroom today claimed that the public
hospital, Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre, has had to postpone all
scheduled surgeries because its supply of anaesthetic has run low.
Accordingly, the sources said, the supply in hand is to be reserved
for emergency cases only.

REAL News has confirmed that this directive was, indeed, given to
the operating room staff – verbally. However, the source noted, no
written instruction to this effect was issued.

On Thursday, other complaints came from persons who said they
had traveled from all over the island to the Grays Farm Dental Clinic,
only to leave in pain and without being seen by the dentist.
One woman says that with the lack of water hampering other clinics,
she decided to go to the Rural West facility and arrived before its
scheduled opening time.

However, she says, when the doors were opened, at 8:12 a.m., to the
approximately 30 waiting persons, they were informed that only
four persons would be seen that day.
This, reportedly, was because eight spots were being reserved for
prisoners, the woman says they were told. However, she says, when
the prison bus turned up, there was only one inmate, and the

remaining seven spots were not assigned to the persons who
remained on the premises.

Earlier this week, Senior Citizens Day was acknowledged by a
private radio station and the United Progressive Party, but
reportedly not by the Government.

One elderly resident – an octogenarian – reported that the Board of
Guardians stipend on which he depends has not been paid since
May.

At that time, he says, beneficiaries received payment for five
months, beginning in January of this year. But, since then, he says,
“not a penny” of the less than $300 he should receive monthly has
been paid.

As a result, he is asking whether the Browne Administration has any
regard, at all, for the plight of the poor, especially those who are
without family assistance.