Late last year North Health, the government health agency, decided to dispense with the services of the Artificial Limb Board (ALB) and contract out the supplying of prosthetic limbs to a private outfit, Rehabilitation Management Limited (RML). Since then, hundreds of complaints have flooding in from amputees about delays, unhelpful staff and shoddy workmanship.
The Amputee's Association, which organized the protest, explained in a leaflet handed out by the marchers, "The ALB has a purpose built Limb Centre in Auckland with excellent facilities. RML has not. Auckland Limb Centre has 10 trained prosthetic staff RML's staffing remains a mystery to us.... Many repairs and adjustments carried out by RML have rendered the artificial limb unwearable!"
The marchers were addressed by Labour Member of Parliament Chris Carter and Jim Anderton, leader of the opposition Alliance, who blasted the contracting out of health services.
Mervyl Morrison
Auckland, New Zealand
Correction on Okinawa case
Thank you for being the only newspaper to take a clear
position opposing the recent Congressional attacks against a
woman's right to choose abortion (June 2).
I also appreciate your excellent coverage of the demonstrations which have taken place in Okinawa protesting the rape of an Okinawan native by U.S. soldiers.
Their is, however, one small disagreement I have with your coverage of the latter. Your caption on the second page of the above issue referred to the rape victim as ".. a 12- year-old woman."
There is no such thing. I teach 12-year-olds for a living. 12-year-olds are children. They are not ready to make mature decisions (such as whether to be sexually active). Therefore, the caption should have read ".. a 12- year-old girl," or ".. a 12-year-old child." Not only did the soldiers commit rape, they committed child abuse as well.
There is, consequently, two-fold reason to protest the behavior of these soldiers. The first demand should be that they be punished for both offenses; the second, that all bases on Okinawa be closed, and U.S. soldiers leave immediately.
Sue Kawakubo
by e-mail
Thanks for the knowledge
Thank you for providing the only source for decolonized
truth in the U.S. Your contributions to the struggle for
justice will not be forgotten. Thanks for the knowledge.
M.D.
Atlanta, Georgia
Cuba's internationalism
I would like to hear more about Cuba's international
missions. Keep up the great work.
S.G.
New Richmond, Minnesota
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