THE EDITOR, Sir:
I RECENTLY had to take my little brother to the Princess Margaret Hospital for a check-up.
While there, a lady came to pick up her mother's death certificate. Her mother, having been a diabetic, had been in the hospital for about three months and had passed away.
Her bill had now amounted to more than $91,000 and I assume that this poor lady has no idea where she will get that kind of money from, especially since she now has a funeral to plan during her bereavement.
As if that was not enough, a clerk at the hospital told her that she cannot get the death certificate unless she pays $40,000 upfront.
I need someone to enlighten me on this. Is it legal to withhold an important document as a death certificate, because family members are not able to pay up?
I have been somewhat familiar with the health sector and have known of people getting more ridiculous hospital bills than this for a dead relative, and this did not interfere with the process of burial for that relative.
First, could it be that some staff members are just taking advantage of customers in their time of great need?
Second, could it be that this is a new regulation within the Health Ministry?
Either way, this should not be allowed to continue.
I am, etc.,
LARISA MCBEAN
mmlarisa@yahoo.com
