Dear goanet readers Nothing much has changed in attitudes amongst the professional medical personnel since the Crimean War (October 1853 - February 1856) till today. In the London Evening Standard of 19 April 2012 it is reported:
Quote: The Queen's former GP is opposing plans by former Labour MP Lord Soley to erect Britain's first statute to a black woman. Sir Richard Thompson, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said the 8ft bronze of Mary Seacole, a Jamaican-born nurse in the Crimean war, was not appropriate for the garden of St Thomas' Hospital, which houses the Florence Nightingale Museum. Unquote Mary Seacole, a black Jamaican nurse, was not chosen by Florence Nightingale to be part of a group of 38 nurses that traveled to Crimea. Instead, Mary Seacole borrowed money to make the 4,000-mile (about 6500 km) journey by herself. As most of us living in the United Kingdom will come in contact with a medical physician at some time or the other, we should be concerned about this. Anyone has the opportunity now to write directly to Sir Richard Thompson at the Royal College of Physicians, 11 St Andrews Place, Regent's Park, London NW1 4LE, United Kingdom or via your Member of Parliament (MP) requesting what formula was used in the decision making process that a statute "8ft bronze" of Mary Seacole would be inappropriate next to the Florence Nightingale Museum housed at St Thomas' Hospital, an excellent teaching hospital on the River Thames opposite the Houses of Parliament. I would encourage our medical students to get involved. Mary Seacole is buried in St. Mary's Roman Catholic Cemetery, Harrow Road, Kensal Green, London, United Kingdom. I am sending this e-mail to the Royal College of Nursing for their information and that of their members. Melvyn Fernandes Thornton Heath, Surrey, United Kingdom 20th April 2012 melvynfernan...@virginmedia.com cc: Royal College of Nursing Lord Soley Asian Voice UK
