People's Report
Published:Saturday | July 23, 2011 | 12:00 AM
More support needed for mental health patients
I'm asking you kindly to find out from Minister of Health Rudyard Spencer why the DrugServ pharmacy at the Greater Portmore Health Centre runs out of drugs for mentally ill patients so often.
My son is an outpatient, and whenever
I'm not looking for freeness. He goes there with his money to pay. The first time he paid $3,300. Now when he goes back for refills, none is there.
It is very hard for the poor people who have this complaint and have to go to private pharmacies, which charge so much more for medication.
I'm a retired government worker, and with the small pension I'm getting, I can't afford to buy the drugs privately each month. I have given the Government 30 years of unbroken service at the Kingston Public Hospital. Is this all the help I can get?
I'm writing on behalf of all the parents whose children are in this position. It is a hard road. Please, help us.
I'm also asking the mothers and fathers to take good care of their children who have mental illness. They can be good kids if they get the medication. Encourage them to take it. May God bless you all.
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Elphinstone Dr needs attention
Since the past 20 years, there has been absolutely no maintenance of the road surface of Elphinstone Drive in Meadowbrook.
The roadway has deteriorated steadily all these years. Currently, there are a few spots where there is some black covering but, for the most part, the surface consists of loose pebbles and the southern edge of the road has narrow trenches.
The poor condition of the road surface is rapidly being made worse by buses which use Elphinstone Drive as a turnaround point. Elphinstone Drive is not on any bus route, but all the buses that terminate at Chancery Street proceed to Elphinstone Drive and park on the road with the vehicles idling for lengthy periods.
There is a nursing home at the end of the street, and this pollution is not good for those occupants.
We have a problem of poor roadway, as well as illegal use by the bus operators, and we are appealing for Transport and Works Minister Mike Henry's intervention to resolve these two problems.
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What's happening at the RGD?
I applied for a birth certificate for my mother. She lives in Sherwood Content, Trelawny; I live in New York.
I called the Registrar General's Department (RGD) in Twickenham Park numerous times. Finally, the RGD told me it was ready and that the office dispatched it through the courier for it to be delivered to Trelawny.
However, the number that they gave me has been ringing for two days without an answer. I have a similar problem when I try calling the RGD. How can a business phone ring forever before it is answered - only in Jamaica can this happen.
In a company, when the phone rings and it is not answered, that business goes to the competition. We lost Air Jamaica because of poor management, and more Jamaican business is going to be lost because of this don't-care attitude.
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Poor phone etiquette at ministry
I am utterly disgusted at the phone etiquette of our Ministry of Education officials. Some of them lack professionalism and courtesy.
On numerous occasions I have called the head office to speak with a particular official. All efforts have been futile, except on one occasion, which is still shocking to this day, as I spoke to her only to be told to call her back at a future date. I have called her back multiple times, but to no avail. I still have not had a conversation with her.
Contemplating the urgency of my situation, I hopefully tried her number again. After multiple tries on the same day, a gentleman answered the phone. When I asked for the official, he placed me on hold for what seemed like an eternity.
Unpleasant conversation
While on hold, I was unwillingly subjected to overhear an un-pleasant conversation between her and, I suppose, the gentleman who placed me on hold. She was apparently arguing that she was not going to take the phone call at the time because she was on her lunch break.
She and the gentleman continued 'throwing' words at each other, oblivious to the fact that I was on hold. Maybe they didn't know I was listening to the conversation, maybe they didn't care, or maybe they are just ignorant souls who just don't know a thing about professionalism.
They didn't even have the decency to allow me to listen to annoying wait music, if one exists. The conduct of these education ministry officials only serves as a reminder of our poor professional standards.
jay_bee_c@yahoo.com
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Save Lethe road
Lethe is a village which boasts three major tourist attractions, including Zipline Adventure Tours (JHTA's Best Attraction Awardee for 2010-2011), Mountain Valley Rafting & River Tubing and the road also leads to Animal Farm. Tourists and locals traverse this road daily, and it is a disgrace.
Please help us to get some assistance by publishing these pics. We were told that some funds from the Jamaica Development Infrastructure Programme were allocated, and a very small section of the road was fixed.
However, as can be seen from the pics, most of the road is in a deplorable condition.
Save our road, Mike.
Tell us about the positives and negatives affecting your community, school or any other social space. Email submissions to letters@gleanerjm.com.