Eight years ago, tens of millions of dollars were spent to add a new state-of-the-art ward at a public hospital, offering quality medical services to women and children.
I had the chance to use its high-tech facilities when my wife was in labour. We took the opportunity to try out its first class private suite. No real main issues could be found apart from the absence of hot water in the bathroom. At the time, we didn’t make a big deal out of it because it was new and there were probably quite a few oversights as they rushed to open the ward.
Recently, my wife was about to give birth and we found ourselves back at the hospital ward.
Again, we opted for the first class suite. We were surprised that the hot water issue had not been resolved.
To add more misery to the situation, the television set was faulty, the curtains were not properly pressed, the faucets and fixtures in the bathroom looked to be crumbling, the sofa needed new upholstery and the remote control for the air-conditioner did not work.
In my opinion, it is not a first class facility if all the basic needs are not met.
Same goes for patients’ health and safety. With the past few years of anxiety due to the COVID-19 pandemic, one would think to install air purifiers all over the ward to limit the spread of the little known virus.
The exterior of the building was no better. It was covered in dirt, stains, fungi, algae and moulds. The toilets needed deep cleaning and repair works, as was the case for the waiting area.
It was a sad sight for us because the authorities had poured a lot of money into constructing the building for the public. Regular maintenance works should have been carried out to keep it in tip-top shape.
Hospital User
