Our front-page article this week is one that isn’t new if you’ve been living in Estcourt and obliged to use the provincial hospital.

It tells of a couple’s panic and then sheer disappointment after a stay at Estcourt Hospital.

And like other stories often told about the service at the hospital, this couple claimed they were on the receiving end of bad attitude from nurses and inefficient service.

“I’d rather die than be admitted to Estcourt Hospital, it is pathetic,” said the husband, lamenting that this essential service is sometimes the only option for people who do not have medical aid benefits.

In her response the hospital’s Public Relations Officer admits that bad attitude from staff is a stumbling block, adding that management emphasises to all staff the importance of a good attitude.

The only way to curb these incidents is to immediately report them to the hospital’s Operational Manager.

This too, should be applied to all government departments, whose Batho Pele Principles should be polished up, instead of gathering dust in a frame on a wall.