Our third world standard
We have been reading with interest the comments by doctors and medical practitioners on the hospital conditions in Albury and Wodonga and couldn't agree more with their comments after our recent experience with the Wodonga Maternity Hospital.
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This is an appalling, pathetic, outdated hospital for our young mothers. Our daughter-in-law gave birth to twins by caesarean section which will haunt her for the rest of her life.
The ward (sorry cubical) consisted of barely enough room for her bed plus two cribs. The lady in the next bed was within touching distance. Visitors coming to see the other new mothers had to walk past within a metre of our daughter-in-law who was trying to breastfeed the two babies. Privacy was non-existent.
As grandparents we were compelled to have whooping cough injections two weeks before the birth to be able to visit. Was this the case for all the other visitors seeing other mothers? One wonders.
The toilet and bathroom facilities were appalling. One shower and toilet for four mothers. The conditions in Blackie House at the old Albury Base Hospital in the 1970s were superior to these present day conditions. Is this progress? I don't think so.
The standard of Wodonga's maternity section are third-world standards. When will our state and federal governments make a concerted effort to rectify this situation instead of sending millions of dollars to countries who actually despise us and our culture?
There is an old saying that charity begins at home. Wake up Australia before we descend to an even lower standard. I'm not sure how our nurses and doctors can cope with these disgusting working conditions.
Neville and Rosalie Maddison, Albury
Money and power
People should be wary of attending this gathering if they just believe they’re protesting against coal culpability. There’s usually unstated motives behind a protest which participants become unwittingly part of.
The letter listed 24 former politicians involved with the fossil fuel industry in some capacity, which is allegedly reprehensible. But the climate propaganda industry dominates the media arena and numerous political appointments are made directly in its favour.
The real reasons are economic reform and it comes back to money and power.
We should also be wary of an initiative unfolding over the coming weeks, to encourage high school students across Australia to join “walk-outs for climate action”. Politicised on social media, it’s reflecting a developing politicisation of young people by Trotskyites.
The critical question, however, is what political program and perspective is required to halt and reverse environmental destruction, and establish a decent world free of war, inequality and dictatorship?
Mike Burston, Myrrhee
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