<B>Hospital treatment = ill-treatment?</B>

Along with his values, goods and chattels my father left two of his childless brothers to be looked after in their times of need.

The first one died two years ago. He had suffered from a throat cancer for a long stretch of twelve years. He chose to be treated privately and he had the best care and attention money and family could provide.

The second one died three months ago. Because of the nature of his illness: renal failure, he chose to be treated in public hospitals as transport was provided. As long as he received treatment in Nehru Hospital there was no complaint except that sometimes they sent him home, sitting with other patients on trolleys, after a 4 hour dialysis session, with drivers speeding recklessly. He really appreciated the special care and attention inside Nehru Hospital-Dialysis Section.

But his life became a long hassle when he was suddenly shifted to Candos hospital. Within one week, Samu had to be called for he fell in a coma. Two weeks later, he slept during dyalisis and his bloos oozed out of his body without the hospital staff being aware of it. When he fainted, then they jumped to action: starting blood transfusion, stripping him of all his clothes & washing them surreptitiously & so spotlessly that not even the teadrops he had split on his shirt in the morning were noticeable. No washing problem then !? Another time, one ambulance driver left him in the street swaying weakly on his legs. Finally on the day he was to die, he refused Candos-Samu, being traumatised with previous ?maltraité?. So a taxi took him to Nehru Hospital. There in the absence of his file although they were informed of his renal failure and treating him urgently and accordingly they wasted his life away sending him for X-Rays, Scans or whatever.

Thus I lost another dear uncle. Sure he was old and ill and was due to die one day or another. But why are old people treated with such arrogance and as inhumanely as possible in hospitals ? Free treatment must never mean ill- treatment.

<B>K.D. LALLAH</B> Curepipe Road

Droits d?auteur

Un auteur ne touchait sur la vente de son livre par un libraire que 10 % du prix de cette vente. C?est déjà vraiment très peu.

Mais voilà que l?Etat prélève maintenant 10 % de cette somme originalement allouée à l?auteur. Que lui reste-t-il ? Est-ce normal ? Est-ce là un encouragement à promouvoir la Culture ?

G.KRI