Is anyone listening?

Being a parent makes one paranoid about the offspring's well being and health. One piece of grapevine rumour worried me the other day and made me think about the noise some environmentalists were making a few years ago about the development of Jumeirah Palm Island. According to the rumour - which was actually published as a news story the day after in Gulf News (http://archive.gulfnews.com/articles/09/07/02/10327762.html) - an increasing number of Palm Jumeirah residents have suffered ear infections en masse. While the story blames unkept swimming pools at the development's residential buildings, I can reveal today that my friend, who told me about the ear infection he and his family suffered, was swimming at the Atlantis swimming pool the day before the story appeared. So, either Atlantis and Nakheel are not maintaining their swimming pools or some sort of a bacteria has crept in the man-made island causing havoc. I hope that the residents' pleas will not fall into the deaf ears of the authorities that need to act promptly and in full transparency to inform people of the real cause of the infection epidemic. For starters, I am cancelling a visit to Atlantis' aqua park until official reassurances are given to the public.