RECENTLY, I visited the Canberra Hospital five times to see a patient. On each visit only one of the four hand sanitisers near the entrance was working.

On the first occasion I asked where I could find a specialist who had been at the hospital for 14 months. The inquiry area told me they had no record of him – but to go to Outpatients and ask. They misdirected me, but finally a friendly doctor passing by told me he was on Level 8, not Level 2.

On each visit I went to the coffee shop. Having worked many years in public health I couldn’t help but notice one gentleman serving food without hygiene gloves. Those preparing coffees also had no gloves. One server sneezed into her hands – apparently no tissues!

And then the piece de resistance – my coffee was handed to me with all five fingers around the top of the cup where the mouth goes. This happened frequently to others while I sat having my coffee.

Having commented in this vein, my sympathy is with the staff. Hospital management seems to have forgotten it has a “no excuse” responsibility to train all these good workers in whatever capacity they are serving us.

Colliss Parrett, Barton

Solutions to planning ‘mess’

PLANNING in Canberra is in a huge mess and the solutions are simple:

Any block that’s big enough should be allowed to be upgraded to a twin title (good enough for the government’s “Fluffy” blocks, good enough for citizens). It would also stop the massive need for high rise and allow a more suburban lifestyle.

Betterment tax to be 15 per cent on the unimproved value. This would release land and innovative designs.

The stupidity of the heritage tree policy on home blocks and street nature strips, where solar axis is blocked and new buildings need to be built on stilts to protect the roots, should be reworked. Trees can be replanted, just like the government’s doing for the tram.

Basically, there’s one rule for the government and another for citizens.

Ben Gershon, Woden