Editor, OBSERVER:

The discussion of what will happen with Brooks Memorial Hospital goes on, and on, and on. The Board of Directors have shown they have not done a good job of managing. Their total mismanagement of the resources has brought the situation at Brooks Hospital to what it is today.

Where is Westfield Hospital located? One does wonder, when it is repeatedly stated that Brooks Hospital is in a rural area. It appears that Westfield is in a similar area, but from all appearances they are flourishing.

Would the Board of Directors be a reason for this? Westfield Hospital has great community support. Brooks Hospital used to have that also, but the Board of Directors put a stop to that.

From the advertising sheet it appears a range of doctors are available at Westfield Hospital. But gradually services at Brooks Hospital have diminished, seen most recently by the discontinuance of obstetrics services.

We have fewer and fewer doctors of various specialties using Brooks Hospital facilities, something that has been going on consistently during the period this Board has been there.

With so many elderly and low income people living in this region we can ill afford the hospital to continue to deteriorate or disappear.

The Board of Directors needs to be held responsible for malfeasance. People cannot continue to do poor jobs and walk away with no consequences.

RosaLEE OWEN,

Dunkirk