URGENT cases at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital are getting more urgent attention.Chief executive officer (CEO) of the hospital, Dr Dexter James, said that for the first quarter of the year, waiting time for urgent cases in the Accident & Emergency department (A&E), had been reduced by more than three hours.Previously, Barbadians demanding urgent attention in the A&E had to wait an average of eight hours before they saw a physician but now, according to James, the average waiting time is four-and-a-half hours.James also said the time span from door to triage, which had been 45 minutes, was now an average of 41 minutes.“This is clearly a major turnaround, and I am obviously pleased. Several patients have reported they are happy with the improvement, and we are already moving to further reduce the times,” he said.James said A&E had more manpower.“The Accident & Emergency department has been a problem area for the population, and the board has responded by providing us with the resources to fix the problem there.”James commended the head of the A&E department, Dr Chaynie Williams, and her team “for taking on board the challenge of reducing waiting times, which can only get better as we address the internal challenges that face us”.The 49-year-old Tobagonian, who took over as CEO last October, said that the hospital’s pharmacy was now operating more efficiently. He added that the introduction of a numbering system and the installation of booths for patient privacy and confidentiality had made the pharmacy, which facilitates about 450 patients on a daily basis, more effective.“There is a much more orderly approach to service. Barbadians will appreciate a more efficient flow of patients to get their prescriptions filled.”James also disclosed that special arrangements had been made for the physically challenged, with a separate window designated for them.
