Virginia Black, Byron Bay
On calling my friend in Ballina recently, I discovered she was having an asthma attack. Living on her own, with no family in the area, I rang an ambulance for her. It was sent from Lismore, and within the hour she was delivered to the Ballina Hospital. But nothing else happened, apart from a sandwich and a weak cup of tea. She waited five hours to get some relief; at the age of 90 this was a very sad state of affairs.
There were no emergencies until late afternoon, so what went wrong? Or is this normal for a parochial hospital? I suggest to the people of Ballina and Byron – go straight to Queensland.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
