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<p>A schoolteacher, who
became disabled resulting from an injury she received while doing her duties,
is still awaiting the Ministry of Education to assist her to get back on her
feet.</p>
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<p>Stacey Mansingh
Bramwell while attending a staff meeting fell when the chair on which she was
sitting broke. She injured her back which led to her have surgery, but it came
at the cost of her job as she was unable to work. The operation was botched
causing an increase in the severity of the pain she experienced.</p>
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<p>During that time she
lost her job, was unable to contribute to her household, unable to pick up her
grandchild.</p>
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<p>There was some light at
the end of the tunnel when she got a lawyer – Charles ‘Advoket’ Ganga-Singh –
then her story was highlighted last year and the Ministry of Education offered
her what some may consider low hanging fruits.</p>
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<p>Stacey was offered her
salary back and her health insurance was reinstated in April of this year. “The
ministry withdrew over 200-thousand dollars of my back salary for income tax,
which I shouldn't be paying since I'm registered as disabled. To date I can't
find out how to get back my money. I'm yet to get back income tax withdrawn
from my salary during the period 2013 to 2016,” she said.</p>
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<p>However, they would refuse to compensate her for the surgery or assist with the cost of future surgery or settle with her on damages. “Because the matter is at court, the MOE claims they cannot help with cost of the surgery,” she said.</p>
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<p>Stacey is to have
another surgery but her insurance company refused to cover the surgery outside
of Jamaica. “My doctor proposed to do the surgery in Florida at a facility
there since the necessary equipment was not available here in Jamaica. So to
accommodate the surgery the doctors took the necessary equipment to Jamaica to
a facility in Liguanea but the insurance company said they don't sanction that
facility,” she said.</p>
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<p>Stacey says “the
equipment was then moved to a hospital from the insurance company’s list but
now they're only covering 30 per cent of the surgery....so I still can't afford
to do the surgery”.</p>
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<p>“They are not
helping....while I'm at home suffering....the pain is worsening. My lifestyle
has changed immensely because I can no longer perform in certain capacities for
my family.”</p>
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<p>Stacey said she has not
received any help from the Jamaica Teacher Association of which she is a paid
up member. She said that she has been in touch with the organization up to last
year but help has been forthcoming.</p>
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