Hospital staff, patients, family angry at sick prank

by Viclene Matthews 29.FEB.08

It was a mad rush to get patients from the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital to the Victoria Park yesterday, as result of a bomb threat made to the hospital.{{more}}

An intermission of the Girls’ High School sport activities was part of the chain reaction which saw students ushered into one pavilion while patients were treated in another.

The scene at Carnival City, Victoria Park was one of confusion, distress, uncertainty and dismay rolled into one unfortunate package.

A young lady, who had tears streaming down her cheeks, said “them people is wicked people”. She was at the time comforting her grandmother, a patient at the hospital, who appeared to be in a lot of pain.

One senior nursing official told SEARCHLIGHT that she thought that this was the work of a deranged person.

“You do not play pranks with hospitals; you do not play pranks with people’s lives,” she said.

Meanwhile, Dr Roger Duncan said that he is very upset because there were mothers at the point of delivery, and patients in the operating theatre.

Dr Rossanna Mars said that she was really shocked. “Whoever did this is unkind because there (are) a lot of patients’ lives at stake here.”

She went on to say that there were patients who were in a critical condition and needed oxygen.

Another patient told Searchlight that she was frightened, “I nearly drop, a nurse catch me.”

Members of the general public displayed their disgust at the situation. One lady said that what happened was “the height of disgrace”.

Doctors and other health officials told SEARCHLIGHT that the public must be commended for their camaraderie and compassion in helping patients get to Victoria Park.