Tuesday, March 02, 2004

The District Reporter is Crap Part 2

This story disappointed me almost to the point of tears. The main story in this weeks District Reporter carries this headline. "Hospital staff used as political football."
It starts out with this. "Macarthur doctors and nurses have called upon both the NSW Government and Opposition to stop politicising the health care services at its two hospitals." Quite reasonable so far.
It then degenerates into a tirade against John Brogden for his alleged politicisation of the issue. "Whilst neither of the major parties have been supportive, Brogden and the Liberal Party's attitude has been disgraceful" Dr Michael Freelander, Head of Paediatrics at Camden Hospital said. "They have made no effort to contact anyone and learn the facts. They simply accept everything that is said by the whistleblowers at face value without questioning things. The Hospital has had no chance to defend itself." BULLSHIT!
John Brogden was definitely wrong in accepting the whistleblowers statements as fact as we all were. We the public have, due to media bias, only been given one side of the story. You and your colleagues have been absolutely silent in providing us with the truth. You have known the truth from the beginning that this was the work of disgruntled bludgers who were simply after a payout. We were all shocked to learn that Nola Fraser had never really raised her concerns in the proper forums and had chosen, for political and personal gain, to raise them in the media. You are doing the same thing. This has been going on for months mate, months! The first we hear from you is to say that this has gotten political. Derrrr! Whilever we have a socialised medical system run by goverments. ie political parties, it can never be anything but political. The cynic in me is starting to think that you and your colleagues have been silent for political gain. Maybe all this pressure on the ALP government might have got you some extra (much needed) funding or whatever. Now that the whistle has been blown on the real culprits and your chance for gain has gone, you choose to put the boot in to John Brogden for not knowing all the facts. We don't know all the facts because until now you have been silent. This is as political as it gets and it makes me sick.
I have been a long time supporter of our areas' health services. My experiences with it have always been very positive. Up until now Dr Mike, I have thought that you and your hard working colleagues have been one step up from sainthood and I would like to continue that thought, really.
I hope that you get to read this post and find it in your heart to reply to it. I hope that you tell me that the newspaper has taken you out of context and that this is a beat up or something similar. Should you choose to send me a reply, I will happily reproduce it here in full with no editing at all. If I am wrong, you will be the first to receive my personal and public apology. No problem. I don't want to pick a fight with anyone over this matter because as you have stated, politicising the issue generally helps noone. At this point though, I feel your comments have done the very thing that you condemn John Brogden for.
I sincerely hope I am wrong.

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