THE ISSUE OF emergency health care in Barbados concerns me deeply so, having read Roy Morris’ piece regarding a visitor’s experience at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), I felt I should revisit the issue.
My experience with emergencies has never been optimal, so much so that I’ve become almost paranoid about having an emergency whether personal, or with family or friends.
Admittedly, we’ve seen an increasing number of private clinics with extended opening hours emerging in recent years, and although these give a measure of comfort to those who can afford them, they really can’t be classified as true emergency hospitals, since in many instances patients are ultimately referred to the same QEH which they were trying to avoid in the first place.
But why can’t this perennial QEH problem be solved? We hear the same talk, year after year, minister after minister, CEO after CEO, but not much seems to change. I’ve often been told that the QEH budget barely covers salaries, so that’s problem No. 1.
But are all the staff members necessary, are they as productive as they should be and do those names on the salary list actually agree with those currently working at the hospital? I’m aware of a staff audit done some years ago, but can anyone say whether the report was actually read, far less acted on?
Recurring problem No. 2 is the fact that too many beds are occupied by the elderly who have been abandoned by relatives. Some country recently proposed legislation to prosecute those who abandon their elderly relatives. The elderly are just as vulnerable as children, so why can’t similar laws be instituted to protect them?
Problem No. 3 is abuse of ambulances by those who use them as unpaid taxis. This should be easily solved by prosecuting the offenders.
Then there is the fourth problem, raised again by the CEO recently, of those who shouldn’t be at the Accident & Emergency Department causing congestion there. How many times has this been raised in the past, yet nothing seems to have been done except extending polyclinic hours; but this hasn’t solved the problem so additional action is obviously needed.
What would help is a ‘fast and efficient triage process’ like that mentioned by Mr Morris in his column, to separate those who should go to a polyclinic, either immediately or next day, from those who need immediate attention.
But my experience is that we have our own Bajan brand of triaging. Consider the scenario of a patient who complains of a severe chest pain and is unsure whether it’s caused by a heart problem or heartburn.
The Bajan brand of triaging is: seat patient in waiting room for about an hour and a half. If they survive the wait, it was probably heartburn, if they don’t it was probably an impending heart attack.
Regarding the visitor who made the ludicrous statement about lack of food and drink in the QEH emergency department, in my opinion he should never have been there in the first place. I’m sure there are a number of private clinics which could have dealt with a broken limb.
In view of all these perennial and seemingly unsolvable problems, I was relieved to read in the media at least a year ago, that the new owners of the Bayview Hospital planned to equip it as a full emergency hospital, but everything seems to have gone silent on that front.
While, of course, not everyone can afford private health care, such a facility would take some pressure off the QEH’s Accident & Emergency. It would also strengthen our tourism infrastructure, giving more peace of mind to our visitors.
Late last year, the Ministry of Health reportedly acknowledged that a more sustainable economic model for financing health care is necessary for the long-term provision of quality health services. This must include good management of resources.
The QEH already benefits from assistance from private individuals like Rihanna and a number of charities and organisations, including The Broadway to Barbados Charitable Trust which I was pleased to note, exerts control over the use of funds so as to ensure they are optimally used.
Last but not least, all this will be to no avail if it’s not accompanied by a good attitude of staff.
• Dr Frances Chandler is a former Independent senator. Email [email protected].
