Striking docs

It’s 3.40am, and I am penning this document because I am so annoyed. I’m 74 years of age and was scheduled to have a procedure at 12.30pm yesterday (Tuesday, the day the doctors’ strike began) to stop me from having to get out of bed almost hourly at night, to urinate. Your strike has meant that this didn’t happen ! This is something that I have waited months for.

I’m livid about this and I would like to remind doctors of the privileged position that they hold in society, even if they do have to work longer hours.

Over many years I, too, have worked hard and paid considerable tax, which has helped provide them with their opportunity. I have a grandson who works on a fish factory ship, for minimum wages, six hours on, six hours off, for six weeks at a time and he is grateful to have that position. Unfortunately for him, he won’t ever have the privileged opportunities or financial rewards that striking doctors are already achieving. Right now I am ‘‘pissed off’’ so get real, junior doctors, get back to work.

Gary Blair, Tasman

No doubt district health board personnel listen to their own personal GPs and take their advice, so why don’t they believe what the junior doctors are saying about their own health and tiredness?

Heather Mackie, Upper Hutt