Dr. Morris wrote to this newspaper after we published excerpts three weeks ago from the letters to the health authorities from two doctors, who claimed that doctors were treated differently according to their skin colour.

A black anaesthesiologist, Dr. Morris said she herself had been a victim of racism at the hospital, but that her case had been addressed by the authorities.

In an interview on points raised in her letter, Dr. Morris also said there was a perception that valuable health care dollars were being wasted through patients flying overseas for treatment and consultations that could have been carried out in Bermuda, adding to spiralling health care costs.

This year, health insurance premiums rose by 18 per cent, on top of 13 and 11 per cent rises in the past two years.

In her letter Dr. Morris first addressed the claims of institutional racism.

"Trust me, we as physicians and other health care professionals were trying to manage and change the system within our own organisations and within the hierarchy of the Bermuda Hospitals Board, but were not successful," Dr. Morris wrote.

"In fact, the more certain individuals reported injustices, the more it seemed as if we were penalised, while the perpetrators were allowed to continue and seemingly were rewarded for their accomplishments.

"If proper human resources techniques had been applied years ago, our professions would not be shamed by the goings-on which had to reach the press in order for the public to understand why various events have occurred in the health care system in Bermuda.

"Now that the truth is public, let us as patients demand what we deserve from our governmental and private health care managers. We cannot afford to listen to people who have their bank accounts as the reason for major decisions which affect all of us."

Asked if she had been a victim of racism, she replied: "Yes."

She added: "It would not be right for me to talk about details at this time. The managers have been informed and action has already been taken."

In our story three weeks ago, we highlighted a letter sent to Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) chairman Anthony Richardson by a black physician, who said he'd suffered "blatant acts of racism".

He said the problem had been going on for years and the way that "a minority population (Caucasian) oppresses the majority population is unique" to Bermuda.

We also published excerpts from a letter sent to Health Minister Patrice Minors by another black physician, who gave a litany of examples of how he said white doctors were treated better than blacks and were not subjected to such rigorous standards of discipline.

The BHB made no comment on the letters.

"I think the problem is just starting to be dealt with now," Dr. Morris said. "We are in the early phases of it and there is still a long way to go.

"There are still quite a few aspects from the past which need to be properly addressed."

In her letter, Dr. Morris raised the wider issue of the accountability of all parties involved in health care, as costs continue to rocket at several times the rate of inflation.

"Why are so many people being flown out of Bermuda for fear of treatment here due to past sins of still-existing health care providers?" Dr. Morris wrote.

"Notice that every hospital abroad which we frequent is building on to their infrastructures while KEMH has to beg for financial assistance? Ironic. Improve our system here, and allow our hard-earned insurance premiums work for us here on the island first.

"I extend my kindest regards to the members of the BHB, and the new Health Council, as a reminder that they have been placed there to make decisions in the interest of all of us."

Yesterday Dr. Morris said she believed the new Bermuda Health Council, made up of insurers, physicians administrators and others involved in health care, should seek hard figures on how many patients were flying overseas for hospital visits and verify how many of those cases could have been dealt with on the island.

"I would be interested to see that survey," Dr. Morris said. "The general perception among the population is that patients seem to be flying away a lot these days, in some cases to get a second opinion, or because they don't want a certain procedure done in Bermuda.

"We are all paying for this in the form of higher health insurance premiums. Employers, particularly small business owners, are very badly affected as they have to pay half the health insurance costs of their employees."

Dr. Morris said she was not pointing the finger at insurers or physicians in particular, but rather at "everyone involved in decision making in health care".

But Dr. Morris has high hopes for the Bermuda Health Council and the potential improvements it could bring.

"I have seen quite a few positive changes at the hospital, with the Government putting together the Health Council," she said.

"For example, accountability of health care givers will improve, as peer review has become mandatory, as of January. Therefore physicians in Bermuda are going to be compared with peers on an international scale.

"The peer review system will be beneficial to physicians and patients alike ? everybody wins ? and I'm glad it's been implemented.

"All of us, insurers, physicians and everybody else involved, need to realise that we have a part to play in improving the health care system."