The Editor, Sir:

I am haunted by Sunday's [July 15] 'Letter of the Day'. I am absolutely appalled to think that anybody, let alone such a wonderful human being as described in that letter, Shaun Fletcher, could die because he did not have $500 to pay the hospital fees!

I am particularly upset over this letter as I suspect that this truly wonderful person was a sickler. The letter doesn't say so, but some of the facts given would suggest so. I recall trying to get a sickler to sign up for the National Health Fund (NHF) since she often suffered painful crises. I was really surprised to learn that sickle-cell disease was not included in the NHF benefits!

Professor Sergeant, Mrs. Sergeant and their wonderful team of workers, including Miriam Forbes, a medical technologist, have given decades of hard work and truly exceptional loving care in their work on this disease. It would, therefore, be a real disgrace if after all they have done, someone like Shaun Fletcher should die for lack of attention when it was most needed.

I thank this obviously very caring teacher, Adina Marie Sergeant, for such a strong letter, even though she made me lose a night's sleep so far. It is ironic that she shares the surname of the medical researcher mentioned above. It is my fervent hope that one day, this wonderful country will be blessed with the visionary leaders we truly deserve. Perhaps then health and education will be beneficiaries of that vision ... hope it won't be too late!

I am, etc.,

SONIA KING

Retired medical technologist