YOUR article 'New counter culture at the end of the line' (Sunday Morning Post, December 11) gave the impression the Department of Health was not delivering as it had promised. I would like to put things in the proper perspective. First, while we have pledged service quality and efficiency, we have not pledged there will be no turnaway which can happen in some of our busiest clinics (of which the Violet Peel Health Centre is one). Second, those who are genuinely in need of urgent medical attention can always seek the assistance of the Patient Relations Officer for the issue of an additional disc. Between June and October, our general out-patient clinics issued 1,760 discs to meet the demand of such patients. Had the writer sought the help of the Patient Relations Officer at the Violet Peel Health Centre, he would probably have been given one. Nevertheless, we will soon make amends about the signs. W. I. HO (Dr) for Director of Health
