Atlanta Daily World

More Proof For
Lack Of Storm
Assistance
By
DR. WILBERT E. HEMMING
KINGSTON. Jamaica
(ANP)
—The hair-raising resentment taken by the
Jamaica Government
nearly two years ago when he reported that a great deal of the
hurricane assistance to Jamaica did
not reach the poor. came to nought
this week. The Minister of Health
and Housing. Hon. Rose Agatha
Leon, disclosed that she discovered
a large quantity of iron beds tucked
away and corroding under the
cellar of the Kingston Public Hospital.
A large quantity of vitamin tablets
or multi-purpose food that also
rotted from careless
storage and
non-distribution
"The articles (bed and tablets)
were goods received as aid to Jamaica,
immediately after the 1951
hurricane in August." she told me.
She added she was alarmed to
see such a large quantity. "rows
and rows" of beds which are of the
expensive type, stored in such a
careless manner.
"I could never imagine that this
was possible," she said, "because
sometime ago when I visited the
maternity Jubilee hospital. I observed that the wards were congested and expectant mothers and
mothers were lying on the floors
on mattresses. If I knew those beds
were there, deteriorating. I would
have agitated for a better treatment to those poor people."
The wasted concentrated food
tablets under the cellar, she said,
were most valuable in a country
stalking with poverty and malnutrition. Yet none was used for the
benefit of the people. Each tablet
was equivalent to one full meal.