My husband had a severe heart attack in the Claremont area so naturally we went to St Ann’s Bay hospital. They kept him there for nearly 3 hours on A & E. I had to pay for a heart enzyme test, then go myself over to the private wing and literally shout at a staff person to get it out of the cupboard. A doctor then advised that we get an ambulance and go straight to Mo Bay Hope, a private hospital.
The ambulance took an hour and a half to get him there. He then needed an anti-coagulant injection to dissolve the clots causing the infarction. US$2500. It was now nighttime and I had no bank cards on me because of all the rush. A doctor friend spoke to them and they gave him the injection. He survived, but just and had a badly damaged heart which has required major medical input since.
I asked someone high up in the Ministry of Health why local hospitals didn’t carry the anti-coagulant medication. I was told that it was too expensive. I said that the public should be informed as at least they would know not to waste precious time going to their local hospital, or understand that if they couldn’t afford the medication, they would die. He shrugged. I asked what would happen to all those people who couldn’t afford it.
The answer – “They die”. (Susan Nathan Knight)
