I fully concur with Rosaria Austin (February 16) regarding treatment at Medical Outpatients. I was meted the same treatment last year over three appointments.

The last one was the most glaring. I was given an appointment to attend MOP at 7.30am (at least 70 people were already there despite me being on time). I had been advised to fast as of 9 the night before. After being shunted about for more than two hours I ended up in a curtained cubicle in my underpants. At 10am, I asked the attendant how much longer I had to wait before being seen to. Her quick response was: “I have seen patients leaving here at 6pm.”

That was when I decided to put my clothes on and make a dash for the canteen to ease my hunger.

About an hour later I was contacted by the consultant on my mobile phone. He wanted to know why I had left the hospital. He was quite frank with me. He told me he had arrived at the hospital at 10.05am and was already seeing a patient. To which I retorted: “then why, for heaven’s sake, do you ask me to report at 7.30am?”

His reply was that it was “their” system. I replied: “who are they?”

It seems to me that Medical Outpatients departments are run by sadists who enjoy seeing people suffer in their presence.

Let me also add that I eventually related the whole sordid story to Health Minister Joe Cassar, copying in the consultant.

And, yet, nothing happened.