Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
Seven-year-old Allessandro Rajaram lies on a bench with his mother, Janeka Braithwaite, at the Spanish Town Hospital, yesterday. The youngster had been waiting to see the doctor from about 11:30 p.m Thursday until 9:40 a.m yesterday. Allesandro was suffering from a fever and on arriving at the hospital was prescribed Panadol. Other persons were complaining that they also had to be waiting long hours.

Rasbert Turner, Gleaner Writer

SPANISH TOWN, St. Catherine:

Persons who attend the Spanish Town Hospital in St. Catherine continue to complain of the unacceptably long waiting periods they have to endure before they are seen by a doctor.

When The Gleaner visited the facility about 9:30 a.m. yesterday, several persons were seen waiting, including some who said they had been at the hospital from as early as 2:00 p.m., Thursday.

"I am here since 2:00 p.m. yesterday (Thursday) and all now me cyaan get through. I am in so much pain and me need the doctor," remarked Angella Davis, who has sickle-cell disease.

Child suffering

Janeka Braithwaite was fuming when she spoke with The Gleaner. According to her, her son Allessandro Rajaram, who had been waiting for over nine hours, was suffering from high fever. She said she arrived at the hospital around 11:30 p.m. Thursday and after sometime was told by a doctor to get two Panadols for the child and check back at 3:00 a.m.

When she checked at 3:00 a.m., she did not get through. Frustrated, she went back at 5:00 a.m. Ms. Braithwaite said she did not see the doctor, as the security refused her entry.

"I need to know if my child is sick, if I have to wait too long when there is dengue going around and right now the lickle boy is roasting with fever."

Some persons also complained that they had to stay overnight at the hospital, on the tough benches, and nothing was being done to ease their condition.

Checks at the office of David Dobson, the chief executive officer, revealed that he was out.

Dr. Jacqueline Disasor admitted that persons had to wait long at times, for various reasons. She said some were to be admitted, while others were there to get results. She said there were no dockets to suggest that persons were waiting for an entire day without being seen by medical personnel.

All this comes just days after the Minister of Health, Rudyard Spencer, said that it is observed that the waiting period in the island's public hospitals was too long and that measures would have to be put in place to address the problem immediately.