Having been hospitalised from an injury sustained in a spill at Caymanas Park on September 29, top 10 jockey Oneil Mullings will undergo surgery at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) on Friday. It was postponed yesterday due to an emergency.

Mullings got injured in the sixth race when his mount, ISLAND CIGAR, fell approaching the furlong pole and decked the jockey, who in turn was kicked by a horse coming from behind. He sustained a fractured left thigh and had to be rushed to hospital.

However, after undergoing X-Ray at the University Hospital of the West Indies, there was no bed available to facilitate the jockey so he had to be sent to the KPH, where he was admitted.

Initially, Mullings was treated and diagnosed by a doctor who informed him that surgery was required and that an interlocking metal pin was needed to be inserted for the operation and this would cost $70,000.

Could not afford advance

It turned out that the jockey's insurance did not cover the full cost of the operation and the hospital wanted the money up front, even though his insurance would have paid back 80 per cent of the cost.

The jockey was lying in a hospital bed and, seemingly, could not afford to advance the money for the pin and, in the circumstances, it was no deal.

A good Samaritan, noted owner and breeder, Andrew Azar, stepped up to the plate with the required cash to assist the jockey.

Member of Parliament for Eastern St. Andrew, Dr. St. Aubyn Bartlett, senior veterinarian for the Jamaica Racing Commission, vented his outrage.

He declared: "This is an indictment on the entire health service in a country unable to provide some of the basic necessities for surgery and medical treatment in hospitals and medical centres.

"In any well-run hospital, the surgical department should have supplies for orthopaedic and other surgeries.This means the hospital should supply everything and bill the patient, rather than ask the patient to purchase supplies ... This is a disgrace."