LETTER TO THE EDITOR:
ALICE Britta’s letter headed ‘Lifestyle and services have declined locally’, seems to have trouble deciding what it is about Sale that she primarily dislikes.
I counted several subjects which did not meet with approval and will list them here: 1. The hospital and health care system; 2. The Medicare customer service workers; 3. The cost of unsubsidised train travel to Melbourne; 4. Health Care Cards, or her lack of one; 5. One particular Central Gippsland Health staff worker who Alice felt didn’t weigh her properly; 6. CGH food standards; 7. The number of people using the “big buck takeout joints”in Sale; 8. “Psychological fascism through advertising”; and 9. The perceived decline in lifestyle and health care and public transport.
Alice loyally stated that it is time to stand up for our community and that discourse is a starting point, but sometimes discourse can be misunderstood too.
It is a conversation that must be entered into with patience, fairness and respect.
Discourse is as much about listening and empathy as it is about airing our views.
It is wise not to be fixed on our own opinions, but always be prepared to change our position if respectful discourse adds to our education and understanding.
Everyone has a right to air their views in public, but it is important to stay on the topic and avoid sensational claims, resentment and bias.
It is never too late to improve our skills in this area.
The letter from Iain Nicholson headed ‘Unnecessary strife and harm for hospital’ on the same page is an outstanding example of a clear, balanced, concise, fair and tolerant letter, backed up by his own personal experience.
We could all learn from that.
Alice has passion and youth on her side and the courage to speak out, which is a great start.
As far as CGH is concerned, I have had many experiences of this and other hospitals, and I think that we are fortunate to have a hospital with a broad range of services, including oncology and dialysis, an efficient emergency department and dedicated and hardworking staff.
When I have had questions about my treatment, I have always been answered in full and staff have checked back to make sure that I am happy with the outcome of my enquiries.
I have communicated with the hospital by letter, phone and in person, and have always been satisfied with the clarity and accuracy of the replies.
I think that with any major service, dealing with large numbers of people in various states of health, all with different expectations and temperaments, there are bound to be some conflicts, but that in no way reflects on the standards of the hospital, the competence of the staff or of their treatment of the people who seek their help.
