This letter appeared in the Port Macquarie news…

Anyone who feels strongly enough to majke a short reposnse...would be appreciated
Here is the letter

“Dignity for medical profession"
Tuesday, 22 April 2008Posted By Anonymous
As a health professional in Port Macqaurie, I would like to comment on the campaign launched by the Mackay family to denigrate the medical treatment Don Mackay received at Royal North Shore Hospital.

Do they really think a member of the health profession goes out of their way to mistreat someone? In fact, day after day we are there, 24/7, to care for all the patients that present for care, regardless of their social, racial, or medical background.

Sadly, every so often a person presents who believes that despite their multiple co morbitities, the medical profession can and will be able to perform some miraculous act and save their life.

Unfortunately, sometimes despite every effort,nature intervenes and we are left to accept that there are some people whose time has come to die. I fail to see how it is in the interests of the rest of the community if the people we trust in our time of illness and real need are disillusioned and disheartened by the ungragrateful and self-serving expectations of the minority.

No wonder we cannot recruit enough doctors and nurses and other health professionals to care for our sick and infirm when the likes of this campaign are poisoning the community.While I am quite confident that a full inquiry, should it be deemed necessary, will clear all involved of any wrongdoing, I regret that we in the medical profession are not miracle workers, and are just doing our best like the next person.

Perhaps we as a community should be informed of the extent of the compensation being sought by this campaign, so we can make our own judgement. It may clarify some issues for all!”
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The last paragraph is shocking along wth the rest. I really need some comment on this as it impinges on us all and on Don’s right to treatment… we have not lodged any financial legal action against them at all ...

This is where you go to reply

http://portmacquarie.yourguide.com.au/displayops.asp?class=your%20say



UPDATE - even as I posted this I received this email from the editor of the POrt Macquarie News (on Sunday)
"Hi Therese,
The letter has been removed from the website.
I'm afraid I am on holidays however I have forwarded your email to our GM.
Regards
Janine"

She's usually spot on regarding these issues and I doubt that that letter would have slipped through if she were aboutm as she knows the issue inside out and has been very helpful.

I still hope that the author of that letter has to be indentified as the family is 99% sure of who it is by his turn of phrase... if it is who we think it is then the content of the letter becomes more important.