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Pay or else... at Spanish Town Health Centre
BY DONNA HUSSEY-WHYTE Sunday Observer reporter husseyd@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, June 09, 2013
IT is 8:27 am, and already no more than 300 patients are crammed into the small facility that is the Spanish Town Health Centre.
Pregnant women, babies — even the elderly who have to be led in, were present. Every seat in the centre was occupied, leaving many standing and waiting for a name or number to be called so that they could in turn occupy the seat to be vacated. Many would still be there way into the evening.
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To the right of the room is the restroom, and a notice that reads 'Kindly make a contribution of $20 towards the upkeep of the bathroom, etc. Thanks. Management'. This drew attention.
But while many may not mind 'making a contribution', the forceful way in which it is being carried out was a cause of anger to many.
This, people found out, when they needed to use the bathrooms.
A female attendant stood blocking the entrance to the restroom. After telling the people that they needed to make a contribution of $20 or more, she held her ground, refusing to move if patients declared that they did not have any money for this purpose.
"You have to make a contribution," she declared, not moving.
In fact, people were required to pay, no matter what they wanted to do inside.
This included paying $20 to pass urine for a medical test, and another $20 to empty the container after it was tested.
It was a situation that drew anger from many patients when the Jamaica Observer made a covert visit last Wednesday.
"So even to empty the urine we have to pay?" one pregnant woman asked the attendant.
"Yes, everything," she responded, blocking the entrance.
"So suppose mi don't have it?"
"Well, you have to make a contribution of $20 or more," she repeated. "Is just $20."
Seeing her insistence the woman reached into her bag, pulled out her purse and handed her a $50 note and collected her change, a controlled look on her face.
The elderly were not exempted.
One woman stood at the restroom door negotiating payment for her elderly relative who was forced to wait while the debate of payment ensued around her.
The same questions were asked, "Why do we have to pay to use the bathroom?"
Answer: "You not paying to use the bathroom, you just making a contribution towards the upkeep."
"Then suppose she want to use it again?" she asked.
The woman handed over the $20 and her relative went in.
"One $20 can't last fi the whole day," the attendant responded.
The woman then began talking to herself as she waited on her relative.
"That don't fair. Some people leave their yard with only fare 'cause they don't have it. So suppose they don't have it what they must do?"
As her elderly relative emerged she held onto her arm and ushered her to a seat, still grumbling to herself.
"Even if mi mother come here, is the same rule go fi she," the attendant said.
It was debate after debate as people went to use the bathroom facility and were told the same thing.
One thing was evident — it was not a request, but a demand.
"Look here, I am not cussing with anybody, I talk to people," the attendant said. "I am a child of God. Child of God to the people who believe in truth and justice," she said.
But the woman with her elderly relative was not alone, many others were in disagreement with the method employed by the health centre.
"I'm not paying to use the government bathroom," one irate young woman said. "Before mi pay mi keep it up or go over hospital or over the plaza and use them bathroom because you don't have to pay anything. Why mi shoulda pay?"
A child about five years old tried pushing her way into the restroom.
"Go back for you mommy," the attendant stopped her.
"Mi want peepee," the child said softly.
"Go back for you mother!" the doorkeeper advised sternly.
When the child returned with her mother she told her that she needed to pay no less than $20 for the child to use the facility. The mother had no option as her child stood looking up at her waiting impatiently to relieve herself.
A man heading for the men's bathroom a few metres away was stopped and a similar request made by the attendant.
He dipped into his pocket and she reeled off a piece of tissue and handed it to him. He gave her $10.
"Sir it's $20 or more," she told him.
"That is what I have," he said. "$20 to use toilet? Is $50 for a reel of tissue so why mi must pay $20?"
The attendant grabbed away the tissue that she had given him and told him to go 'bout his business, the man insisted she could not stop him and cussed his way into the restroom nonetheless.
And while the situation was displeasing and even a source of anger for many, the attendant too seemed frustrated at the situation.
"Mi ago lock down deh place yah and go a me yard eno, I swear," she said. "Lock down this and go a mi yard!"
When asked what the patients would do, she responded.
"Dat a fi dem business! You see when the man them come and fix dem yah?" she said knocking the lock on the door to indicate what she was referring to.
"Then nuh government place," this reporter asked.
"Hello, government place or no government place," she responded.
"The money is for the upkeep of the bathroom because you have some people come here, dem nasty! Sometimes you go in there and pad clog up the bowl, or blood deh all over the place. If you don't monitor them the place can't use," she said.
She held her position at the entrance, making sure that each person flushed the toilets after use and wiped water splashed on the counter or the floor.
While there was no water in the bowls at times, she ensured that water was in a bucket for flushing.
"Mi nah get pay to do this," she argued. "You know how much time they tief out all the soap them?"
She said that even if the soap is placed in the despenser which is mounted on the wall, the bottle is still removed from the dispenser. When placed on the counter, the hand soap simply goes missing.
In fact, she explained, people will find innovative ways to steal. She recalls one woman taking a soda bottle into the toilet and emptying the contents from the hand soap into it then left the empty soap bottle on the counter.
"That is why I don't even allow them to take garbage in here. So when you hear me talking, I know why mi a talk!" she said.
But while many may be in disagreement with having to 'make a contribution', some see it as a welcomed change.
"I don't mind paying it because it (toilets) keep much better now that they start collect," one woman sitting with a baby and a young child said. "Before that you couldn't go in there. It would sick you stomach. So I don't mind paying for the comfort."
She said asking for contribution started about two months ago.
"Nothing nuh wrong man," one man who had taken his son to use the restroom told the attendant after she asked him for a 'contribution'.
"Nothing nuh wrong with that. Mi will give you $100," he said dipping into his pocket.
"Mi nuh want you stand up a look inna mi face and go back go say you want 'peepee' or you want 'dodo' and mi nuh mek you go," she said to a woman waiting patiently outside the restroom door. "See one empty stall deh, go use it."
Another woman came to the attendant's defence.
"If you come here and you ask the lady she will allow you, but it depends on how you ask her," the woman said. "She not really going to turn you back."
"Mi nah punish nuhbody but we just ask for a contribution," the woman at the restroom door said.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz2VnIb9doF
BY DONNA HUSSEY-WHYTE Sunday Observer reporter husseyd@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, June 09, 2013
IT is 8:27 am, and already no more than 300 patients are crammed into the small facility that is the Spanish Town Health Centre.
Pregnant women, babies — even the elderly who have to be led in, were present. Every seat in the centre was occupied, leaving many standing and waiting for a name or number to be called so that they could in turn occupy the seat to be vacated. Many would still be there way into the evening.
1/1 To the right of the room is the restroom, and a notice that reads 'Kindly make a contribution of $20 towards the upkeep of the bathroom, etc. Thanks. Management'. This drew attention.
But while many may not mind 'making a contribution', the forceful way in which it is being carried out was a cause of anger to many.
This, people found out, when they needed to use the bathrooms.
A female attendant stood blocking the entrance to the restroom. After telling the people that they needed to make a contribution of $20 or more, she held her ground, refusing to move if patients declared that they did not have any money for this purpose.
"You have to make a contribution," she declared, not moving.
In fact, people were required to pay, no matter what they wanted to do inside.
This included paying $20 to pass urine for a medical test, and another $20 to empty the container after it was tested.
It was a situation that drew anger from many patients when the Jamaica Observer made a covert visit last Wednesday.
"So even to empty the urine we have to pay?" one pregnant woman asked the attendant.
"Yes, everything," she responded, blocking the entrance.
"So suppose mi don't have it?"
"Well, you have to make a contribution of $20 or more," she repeated. "Is just $20."
Seeing her insistence the woman reached into her bag, pulled out her purse and handed her a $50 note and collected her change, a controlled look on her face.
The elderly were not exempted.
One woman stood at the restroom door negotiating payment for her elderly relative who was forced to wait while the debate of payment ensued around her.
The same questions were asked, "Why do we have to pay to use the bathroom?"
Answer: "You not paying to use the bathroom, you just making a contribution towards the upkeep."
"Then suppose she want to use it again?" she asked.
The woman handed over the $20 and her relative went in.
"One $20 can't last fi the whole day," the attendant responded.
The woman then began talking to herself as she waited on her relative.
"That don't fair. Some people leave their yard with only fare 'cause they don't have it. So suppose they don't have it what they must do?"
As her elderly relative emerged she held onto her arm and ushered her to a seat, still grumbling to herself.
"Even if mi mother come here, is the same rule go fi she," the attendant said.
It was debate after debate as people went to use the bathroom facility and were told the same thing.
One thing was evident — it was not a request, but a demand.
"Look here, I am not cussing with anybody, I talk to people," the attendant said. "I am a child of God. Child of God to the people who believe in truth and justice," she said.
But the woman with her elderly relative was not alone, many others were in disagreement with the method employed by the health centre.
"I'm not paying to use the government bathroom," one irate young woman said. "Before mi pay mi keep it up or go over hospital or over the plaza and use them bathroom because you don't have to pay anything. Why mi shoulda pay?"
A child about five years old tried pushing her way into the restroom.
"Go back for you mommy," the attendant stopped her.
"Mi want peepee," the child said softly.
"Go back for you mother!" the doorkeeper advised sternly.
When the child returned with her mother she told her that she needed to pay no less than $20 for the child to use the facility. The mother had no option as her child stood looking up at her waiting impatiently to relieve herself.
A man heading for the men's bathroom a few metres away was stopped and a similar request made by the attendant.
He dipped into his pocket and she reeled off a piece of tissue and handed it to him. He gave her $10.
"Sir it's $20 or more," she told him.
"That is what I have," he said. "$20 to use toilet? Is $50 for a reel of tissue so why mi must pay $20?"
The attendant grabbed away the tissue that she had given him and told him to go 'bout his business, the man insisted she could not stop him and cussed his way into the restroom nonetheless.
And while the situation was displeasing and even a source of anger for many, the attendant too seemed frustrated at the situation.
"Mi ago lock down deh place yah and go a me yard eno, I swear," she said. "Lock down this and go a mi yard!"
When asked what the patients would do, she responded.
"Dat a fi dem business! You see when the man them come and fix dem yah?" she said knocking the lock on the door to indicate what she was referring to.
"Then nuh government place," this reporter asked.
"Hello, government place or no government place," she responded.
"The money is for the upkeep of the bathroom because you have some people come here, dem nasty! Sometimes you go in there and pad clog up the bowl, or blood deh all over the place. If you don't monitor them the place can't use," she said.
She held her position at the entrance, making sure that each person flushed the toilets after use and wiped water splashed on the counter or the floor.
While there was no water in the bowls at times, she ensured that water was in a bucket for flushing.
"Mi nah get pay to do this," she argued. "You know how much time they tief out all the soap them?"
She said that even if the soap is placed in the despenser which is mounted on the wall, the bottle is still removed from the dispenser. When placed on the counter, the hand soap simply goes missing.
In fact, she explained, people will find innovative ways to steal. She recalls one woman taking a soda bottle into the toilet and emptying the contents from the hand soap into it then left the empty soap bottle on the counter.
"That is why I don't even allow them to take garbage in here. So when you hear me talking, I know why mi a talk!" she said.
But while many may be in disagreement with having to 'make a contribution', some see it as a welcomed change.
"I don't mind paying it because it (toilets) keep much better now that they start collect," one woman sitting with a baby and a young child said. "Before that you couldn't go in there. It would sick you stomach. So I don't mind paying for the comfort."
She said asking for contribution started about two months ago.
"Nothing nuh wrong man," one man who had taken his son to use the restroom told the attendant after she asked him for a 'contribution'.
"Nothing nuh wrong with that. Mi will give you $100," he said dipping into his pocket.
"Mi nuh want you stand up a look inna mi face and go back go say you want 'peepee' or you want 'dodo' and mi nuh mek you go," she said to a woman waiting patiently outside the restroom door. "See one empty stall deh, go use it."
Another woman came to the attendant's defence.
"If you come here and you ask the lady she will allow you, but it depends on how you ask her," the woman said. "She not really going to turn you back."
"Mi nah punish nuhbody but we just ask for a contribution," the woman at the restroom door said.
Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/...#ixzz2VnIb9doF
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