Accidents a strain on hospital

MASS CASUALTIES from vehicular accidents are putting a burden on the Accident & Emergency (A & E) Department of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.Head of the department, Dr Chaynie Williams, is pleading with the public to drive with more due care and attention.There have been seven mass casualties this year, and Williams says they have impacted on the A & E.“The mass casualty situation from motor vehicle accidents is putting tremendous pressure and burden on the resources, both human and equipment.“There have been more mass casualties this year as compared with the same time period in 2009. We have had about seven so far. The most recent was [Tuesday], which resulted in two deaths,” she said yesterday morning while conducting a tour of the department with health officials.Williams said that when there was a mass casualties situation, it increased the waiting time for those at the hospital with other complaints.“Normally our mass casualty protocols would suggest that we have to bring all available persons (doctors and nurses) attached to the A & E into the department to deal with the additional traumatic cases.“We actually go in the field and help see the patients there so as to limit the effect of the patients coming to the emergency department.“Having to do that does put a burden and significantly increases waiting time for those patients who are here for other complaints.”Minister of Health Donville Inniss echoed her sentiments by calling on Barbadians “to exercise more caution on the road”.“Every time there is a mass casualty – and there have been a few of them this year, probably more than last year – it places tremendous pressure on the limited resources that we have here.” (MK)