I didn't get to see the doctor for the other appointment in April; the appointment was put off, and they gave me no reason.

They made a new appointment for 21 June. Now they have cancelled that one till the 21 August; again, they gave me no reason.

"I telephoned my doctor to find out why these appointments are being cancelled. I spoke to the receptionist, and she asked me if I wanted to give her a message for him, but I said,

'No, I want to speak to him directly,' and then she put the phone down on me.

 "I don't know why my appointments are being cancelled, but I've heard the rumor passed around that the reason is because, when you are old, they just want to cast you aside like a worn out garment or an old pair of shoes."

Ms Whittaker believes that the way she has been treated is becoming increasingly common among the country's older people.

"The elderly citizens made Cayman what it is today, and they fail to remember that.

"I was a teacher for 13 years from 1927 to 1940, when I had to give up teaching because of my health," she said.

"I taught several different people who became leaders of the Government here, including Mr John Jefferson.

After I finished teaching I helped to build the tourist trade here, along with Ethel Cook-Bodden, who invited Mr Greenhall to come to build the Galleon Beach Hotel, the first hotel here.

"I helped Ethel Cook-Bodden by making thatchwork for her, which she sold to the tourists," she said.

Contemplating why she though she was being badly treated by the health service, Ms Winnie didn't think it was because of money.

"I have got CINICO and that takes care of my bills, so it is not about payment. It must be: "Hurry, die and go," she said.

"I've got feelings that can be hurt too, and I'm very hurt. I am deeply hurt because I should not be treated in this manner.

"I want to know what is going on. I will not stop trying to find out even if I have to see the Governor.

Ms Whittaker explained that she is not just upset because of the way she is being treated, but also because she sees other elderly people being treated in the same way.

Clare Hislop, one of Ms Whittaker's friends, said that her doctor told her she needed regular check-ups in December 2005, because of her heart condition, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Her story is similar and involves a series of broken appointments, so that she has not seen her doctor in more than half a year.

 "I was due to see the doctor in June; they gave me an appointment, just before they called me to say it was cancelled because he was going on vacation. I had another appointment made for August," she said.

However, Ms Hislop says that she cannot wait until August; she needs an appointment now.

"I am looking for another doctor; I am trying to find one today because I am not feeling well," she said.

Craig Brown, the Health Services Authority CEO, responded to the reports of missed doctors' appointments by email:

"I have checked into this matter further and we may have had to cancel some clinics because the physician was sick or attending to an emergency.  When this happens, we try to contact those who are booked that day and we may have had difficulty contacting the
patients," he said.

Mr Brown advised patients who have been affected by broken appointments to contact Patient Services so they could clarify the specific circumstances regarding their appointment. 

"We are working on enhancing our systems to ensure that patients are quickly rescheduled if a clinic has to be cancelled for any reason," said the new CEO.

"We should have provided these individuals with the reason for the cancellations and we need to do a better job communicating in this regard. The delays may have also been because of difficulties in contacting the person in order to reschedule; or leaving messages which didn't get passed along.

Mr Brown said he had asked Patient Services to look into the cases of Ms Whittaker and Ms Hislop, and that the ladies would be contacted to review what had transpired."

Mr Brown also added that having CINICO health insurance can also restrict the options available, as CINICO insurance only covers HSA appointed doctors.

"If the patient is covered by the CINICO plan, they receive their care from the HSA which would complicate appointments," he said.

"We are currently looking at our clinics and their structure to determine if there are different approaches we could implement to ensure better coverage and responsiveness." 

christopher@caymannetnews.com