I have, in the recent past and in the same daily paper, l’express, given my views on certain aspects of the health sector. The title of the letter was: “The eighteenth measure” following the minister’s decision to introduce 17 measures. I had made certain constructive criticisms and recommendations and provided some valid solutions. Whether the same was ever read, considered, or rejected matters little to me.

But, as a citizen of our Republic, it is my civic duty to ponder on the way the ministry of Health is being run. I am not aware of the details of the death of late Nazima Goburdhun. However, from hearsay evidence, her life could have been saved. May I, at this stage, make a few suggestions:

I wonder whether an intern in Mauritius gets the same standard training as an intern in a teaching hospital because our hospitals are not teaching hospitals. Hence, following the internship, he should not be put in at the deep end but shoulder certain responsibilities under the supervision of a senior Resident Medical Officer (RMO). By the way, how can somebody who has never been in charge of a department be appointed Regional Health Director and how can somebody who has never been in charge of a hospital be appointed director of the whole health service?

It is the usual practice that an RMO should rotate to complete as many specialities as he can, whether it be surgery, gynaecology, general medicine, ENT etc. In that case, why not create a post of Registrar for whoever has rotated through the majority of all specialities. He will obviously opt for any speciality and be appointed Registrar in that particular speciality for as many years as necessary till he is awarded a scholarship. This Registrar will act as a bridge between the RMO and the specialist on call and, if the specialist is informed by the Registrar but does not attend to the emergency, he will have no excuse or choice but to discharge his or her responsibility if there is any major complication leading to the premature death of patients.

A consultant should be both the clinical and administrative head of his department. As clinical head, he will be entitled to have “a droit de regard” on all patients admitted in his unit without of course being overzealous. The best way to do it is through a weekly combined ward round including the consultant, all the specialists, the RMOs, the interns and the charge nurses.

Finally, if those concerned travel to the USA to visit Disneyland, to Paris to climb the Eiffel Tower or to Geneva to admire the giant water fountains, then we can expect the standard of medical services that we deserve.

Note: There are many valid solutions for the casualty department which is the hot seat of the hospital. When I have some time, I shall elaborate on those as well.

Dr Hassen MUSTUN</B>