Princess Margaret Hospital administrator Mary Lightbourne-Walker.
By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
HEALTH officials yesterday underscored an unprecedented level of overcrowding at the nation’s public hospital with the number of boarders on the rise, elective surgeries temporarily suspended, and a record 12-hour wait time in Accident and Emergency department.
Officials state the A&E Department has seen an average 100 people per shift for the past two weeks, and are urging the public to consider going to community clinics for non-emergency care.
“In all of my years here, this is the worst I’ve ever seen it,” said Princess Margaret Hospital administrator Mary Lightbourne-Walker, who noted at about midday on Friday there were about 14 persons waiting for a bed in the Accident and Emergency Department.
She also pointed to a surge in the number of patients presenting with respiratory and other related illness, which officials attributed to seasonal patterns.
Overcrowding has been critically compounded by shortages of beds and nurses, with staffing resources maxed out servicing virtual wards on an overtime basis.
In order to accommodate the persons who require admission,” Ms Lightbourne-Walker said, “we have to open what we call virtual wards which were decommissioned spaces waiting to be renovated. Every time we do that it’s done with overtime on the part of the nurses. So we’re actually getting to the point now where the nurses are too tired to respond to that call, and in fact we’re not in a position to open another virtual ward for that same reason. We cannot staff it.”
She continued: “Staffing adverts are out on continuous basis, I think we have employed every Bahamian nurse who wants a job, ones who have retired are back with us doing sessional shifts.”
There are 13 different nationalities currently employed by the hospital, she said, stressing the hospital needed all the Human Resources it could find.
Ms Lightbourne-Walker confirmed the number of boarders had nearly doubled since The Tribune exclusively revealed in September there were 28 boarders costing the public hospital more than $15,000 a day.
Dr Sands told The Tribune the issue cost the government a whopping $7m each year.
“We are now approaching 40 such persons and even in the emergency room there are five persons who fall into that category,” Ms Walker said.
“So yes we appeal to the public if you know you have a relative here in the hospital who you may not have visited for a while, there are certain persons in the facility that have been discharged and you need to come and collect them. We are working in partnership with Social Services to help as best we can those persons in need of assistance with taking care of their relatives.
“It will not - to my understanding - be the policy of the government to put anyone on the street but it is a very urgent need when you’re talking about a healthcare facility that is responsible for acute care, now branching into hospice care.”
Medical Chief of Staff Dr Caroline Burnett-Garraway said elective surgeries were cancelled on Friday due to the bed shortage, with an assessment to be made on Sunday evening whether to resume surgeries that were not life-threatening.
“We made a decision to not do any elective surgeries (on Friday),” Dr Burnett-Garraway said.
“We don’t have it on weekends, we’re actively trying to do discharge rounds, consulting, to get patients through the hospital and discharged. So we will reassess on Sunday evening and make a decision. We continue to do patients that need surgery for cancer, renal patients, emergencies, gunshot wounds and patients with life-threatening conditions.”
The public was directed to first call A&E at 326-7014 if they are not sure about the emergent nature of their condition, Chief of Service at A&E, Dr. Crystal Wells said.
The public is advised that clinic hours at the South Beach Health Centre, the Fleming Street Clinic, and the Flamingo Gardens Clinic have been extended from 8a.m. to 9p.m. Monday through Friday, and the Elizabeth Estates Clinic from 9a.m. to 9p.m. Monday through Friday.
Comments
John 6 years, 2 months ago
Two things: 1. The time has come for government to identify property and begin construction of a new hospital or alternative care facility. Yes, the cry will be that the country is broke and cannot afford a hospital. One response is that the country gave away over $1 Billion in concessions to one development. But reality is the project can be extended over a period of years so that it can be made affordable. Government already owns land. So it can start with let’s say an emergency and trauma center. Then add clinics and out patient care, then pharmacy and other ancillary services. Until a full fledged hospital is completed over a period of say 10 years. And as pressure of over crowding and high volume is reduced at PMH, each portion of that facility is renovated and/or reconstructed. So eventually there will be two fairly modern health care facilities and rather than duplicating all services, each one can concentrate on specialized care.
John 6 years, 2 months ago
Two : It is a sad reality that families are depositing family members in the hospital and walking away because they cannot care for them. These are usually older persons in the family and an even sadder reality is that some families cannot afford to care for their elderly. But what is even more depressing is that long and sustained economic hardship is causing many young people, males especially, to become homeless. Some families stay in apartments and run up the rent because either only one or none in the family is employed. So they are evicted and have to leave everything behind except their clothes because they have no where to take them. Some were also displaced due to hurricane, fire of family break-ups. Likewise is when banks foreclosures on a mortgage and takes the family home. Usually the females in the family are accommodated but many of the young men are left drifting between family and friends. Some would even go and stay in the shantytowns until they get on their feet, but government’s recent actions of bulldozing and flattening these villages have made this not an alternative. The fact is there are many persons and families living below the property line, some through no fault of their own. And if you live in Lyford Cay or Old Fort Bay, or Westridge or even Stapleton you will say yes, bulldoze the shantytown or condemn the houses that do not have running water. But you do this out of ignorance to reality. No one really wants these things in their country but as long as there are poor people and unemployed persons and sick people who are unable to work, these things will pop up. Just drive under the br on any given night and see the number seeking a place there. Hopefully the upcoming census will count the number of homeless people in this country so the government can seek to address the problem.
Socrates 6 years, 2 months ago
scary thing to contemplate.. NHI supposed to be a viable alternative to private insurance for who cant afford. not yet fully implemented and look at the situation as it exists today... IMHO, we dont have sufficiently extensive and adequately staffed and equipped facilities to offer care to who needs it, when they need it. sounds good in theory, but reality is something else..
sheeprunner12 6 years, 2 months ago
Just let DocSands do his thing ......... Give him time ...... PMH has enough space there to rebuild a bigger and better PMH ..... Let us not get beyond ourselves and our budget.
What we really need is more nurses and more beds. Start onsite free training nurses or auxillaries enmasse who can fill gaps in less critical care areas in PMH and use the experienced sister nurses to mentor trainees .......... The time for talking about the problem is over. We cannot wait four years to train a nurse at COB ......... Create a new training regime for half that time with ongoing courses.
bogart 6 years, 2 months ago
Bahamian voters have elected so many govts with overwhelming majority to deliver- except for the Ingraham govt when it was almost balanced but he still delivered. However the utter wasteful spendings and hundreds of millions poured into finamcial govt controlled agencies without employees accountable, fired is glaring. So glaring that it continues and one imagines there must be an ironclad Nomenklatura of persons protecting others regatdless who is in govt. While the good Doctor Sands was not in office before long term plans, projections, analysis to provide for future needs should have been mandatory and not wait until crises for solutions. There is no excuse not to investigate officers who gave out bad loans, made bad decisions or denied others or victimized others. BoB, Dev Bank, NIB, every govt ministry and agency. 10s to 100s of millions should not be poured into these areas while the govt has to borrow 100 million for BEC and theres no money for Dr.Sands to do his job. Given this historic unprescedented Parliamemtary majority voted for and won much is expected to be delivered.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 2 months ago
MPs do not pre-determine the integrity and work ethic of civil servants ........ it is a culture that is bred by the leadership of each department/agency/corporation etc.
Well_mudda_take_sic 6 years, 2 months ago
Thank you illegal immigrants and a special thank you to Sebas Bastian, Craig Flowers and others like them who are responsible for the gross misallocation and/or depletion of capital resources in our country, resulting in the most basic needs of Bahamians not being met. And by the way Dr. Sands, your ineptitude and failure to heed the warnings put out several months ago by the CDC in Atlanta about the severity of this year's flu season is now killing untold numbers of afflicted very young and old Bahamians on a daily basis. Is any one keeping count of the deaths of Bahamians attributable to these matters? You can bet the U.S. and Canada will soon be issuing travel warnings to their citizenry about our grossly under resourced and seriously overwhelmed healthcare system as the tourist death count attributed to our failing healthcare system rises.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 2 months ago
Why does the government not zone Nassau and if you live in a specific area, you must first go to the mini-hospital in your area????? .......... Why have Elizabeth Estates, South Beach, Flamingo Gardens. Fleming Street Clinics etc. open and still everyone is crowding up in PMH for minor medical matters?? ...... smh
Why go to A&E if you have a headache or stomach ache???? ....... You should only be there if you have been seriously wounded and losing much blood or you have an organ failure ..... If you broke your arm or you got a flesh wound cut , can that not be fixed at a satellite clinic???????? ........ Can these clinics not deliver babies?????? .............. It is time for these other facilities to take this burden off PMH.
The Minister must stop this abuse of PMH and the A&E department.
bogart 6 years, 2 months ago
No dispute on the culture bred by the leadership...or lack thereof but these leadership must NOW be accountable to someone, and the Boards of Directors Chairmen and Directors and the Minister. Governance have changed we now have a CEO in charge. There is no excuse for all these years LongIsland now in the 21st century is getting water, and PMH has run out of beds.I know you can add to this list.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 2 months ago
Right on, bruh!!!!!!!!!
SP 6 years, 2 months ago
The country desperately needed a new hospital and modern prison. Perry Christie chooses a sports stadium and Hubert Ingraham chooses new roads.
Thank GOD these two idiots are gone forever and we can finally get on with focusing on "real" issues negatively impacting the country!
by SP
TheMadHatter 6 years, 2 months ago
The solution is to use the beds in the maternity ward to take care if displaced persons.
Turn away pregnant women at the security booth and tell them "Sorry, but we don't need what you're selling. We have too many people in here already. You must have missed the memo last year. Good luck and goodbye."
Real talks.
ilashulman 6 years, 2 months ago
Just a thought: If it is costing so much per day for discharged borders who need assistance by family members that have not come forward, in order for them leave the hospital, wouldn't it be cost effective to pay properly vetted families that could convert hospital borders to borders in their private homes. Social services would need to qualify the people offering board for these patients and would have to do frequent home visits to be sure that the patient is being taken care of appropriately. This not only would alleviate some of the financial burden to the government, free up spaces in the hospital, but would also give some families additional income.
TheMadHatter 6 years, 2 months ago
Ilashulman : You are too smart. I predict your expulsion from this country in the near future.
Bahamas-----》smart people not allowed.
ashley14 6 years, 2 months ago
Even if you've always been healthy and don't really think about the medical care you have access to. It will eventually be you. At that time you'll want a adequate physicality.
sheeprunner12 6 years, 2 months ago
And this lady (Walker) has been working in PMH since 1977 ........ imagine that!!!!!!! ........ and this is "the worst" that she has seen PMH ........... Can we encourage these "beyond their used date" civil servants to PLEASE retire and enjoy their senior years???????? ......... Why stay there and be tortured by this sisyphean dilemma?????? If you cannot fix it ..... move on!!!!!
SP 6 years, 2 months ago
Blah, blah, blah, these people still take us for fools. Getting rid of the 40 residents is a drop in the bucket that will make no appreciable change in the hospital. No mention that the hospital is overrun with illegals and has been for decades!
Deal with the dam illegals that come here for free healthcare, dropping babies like maggots, demanding free education, remaining in the country taking jobs, and demanding citizenship!
Our country is well on the way to financial collapses and Haiti status and the powers that be still refuse to acknowledge the real issues of illegals and blue-collar work permit holders causing our demise.
TOO STUPID!
Sickened 6 years, 2 months ago
"Like maggots" LOL!
John 6 years, 2 months ago
With the entire smothered in smoke last night many residents may have to go to the emergency department with breathing problems and other ailments. This will put an additional burden on the already overtaxed hospital and since some of the clinics may be adversely affected by thick smoke, they may not see patients this morning.
joeblow 6 years, 2 months ago
The country does not need a new hospital, but more efficient management of current resources. They now have a new critical care block ,has that improved healthcare outcomes? Lazy ineffective public workers will not develop a new work ethic simply because they are in a new hospital. It is the gross inefficiencies in the system that is at the root of these healthcare concerns. Public surgical cases are not being performed on a timely basis most likely because theaters are being used for private surgical cases first! It is an abuse of the system that can easily be addressed.
This country's financial woes should have had Dr Sand first asking where he could improve efficiency WITHOUT having to spend millions of dollars. To date nothing sensible from him! So sad!
BahamaRed 6 years, 2 months ago
What this country needs is another public trauma centre located on a different part of the island. Many accidents or emergencies are funneled to PMH and they don't have the space or the staff to handle it.
A trauma centre located elsewhere would alleviated some of the burden currently placed on PMH. Furthermore having a few of the local clinics opened 24hrs to deal with minor accidents and emergencies may also assist.
A 12hr wait time in an ER is ridiculous and shouldn't even be allowed to occur. But what do I know, I haven't been to PMH since I was born in the eighties. Lol
sealice 6 years, 2 months ago
People really choose to go to PMH?? I thought it was the only choice we had so elective surgery isn't really a valid category for the Average Bahamian? You need it or you don't.... any elections coming I just need to get paid for my vote....
sealice 6 years, 2 months ago
So we just starts shipping them all out to Bahmar? heads on beds guys.... comeone heads on beds.... can we come with another Cliche phrase that is the epitome of our countries decline?
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