The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

MORE than 200 healthcare workers are expected to be sent to various Family Islands to bolster medical services in those communities, according to Health Minister Dr Michael Darville.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Dr Darville said the decision to increase manpower in public health on the islands was made by Cabinet after a paper highlighting staff shortages and other deficiencies was brought to the government’s attention.

“I’d like to say that fortunately in Cabinet after looking at the manpower deficiencies throughout the Family Islands, the ministry brought a paper, and it was approved for additional staff and so I’m pleased that we will begin to improve the manpower resources throughout the Family Islands,” the minister said before going to a Cabinet meeting.

“We got an approval of an excess of about 270 additional staff and that is inclusive of our handymen, our additional clerical staff, also ambulance drivers and people who will be able to improve the delivery of healthcare throughout the islands while we move swiftly to do the necessary upgrades of our clinics.”

 Concerns about the weak quality of the emergency and care services on the Family Islands were reignited in late January after relatives of one of the three men killed in a car crash on Long Island complained about the level of care he received.

 However, even before then, Family Island residents would often complain about the country’s slow response in getting locals airlifted, especially as it relates to those suffering from COVID-19 related complications.

 Dr Darville said: “We need to do a better job with Emergency Medical Services, on ground transportation and better coordination because some of the islands, the clinics are far apart, and we need to make sure that we have a better response mechanism on the ground in the event of any type of accident or natural disaster. We need to be able to respond better. That is being done.

 “One of the elements of the (IDB) loan is to ensure that we put in place in isolation pods at many of our Family Island facilities in the event of infectious disease and lastly, another component of the loan is infrastructural upgrade – to improve the clinics and get them up to pay which is reflective of where we want to go with National Health Insurance.”

 He also said the government is seeking to complete renovation works at Princess Margaret Hospital and Rand Memorial Hospital.

 “We toured the Rand Memorial hospital (and) a portion of the hospital renovations took place under the former administration, but there’s another section of the hospital where nothing was done and then we walked through the Accident and Emergency and looked at the wear and tear that is associated with Dorian and so there had to be additional work there, but we did go out for request for proposals for a morgue for the Rand Memorial Hospital and some additional space. I believe that would be in probably for the end of the month so we can move swiftly and award a contract.

 “At the Princess Margaret Hospital, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done. I spoke about the morgue renovation that’s going on. We need now to move to Male Medical II which has been gutted and we need to get some additional bed space.”

 Yesterday, the minister also gave an update on the Grosvenor nursing building, which was temporarily acquired by the government in January following negotiations with University of The Bahamas.

 The building is expected to serve as a COVID facility that can accommodate up to 100 patients.

 According to Dr Darville, the building is about 70 to 80 percent complete.

 “We’re in the tail end of the fourth wave,” he continued. “We’re hoping that we would remain this way, but we need to ensure that we prepare for war when there’s peace and that’s my job as the minister - to ensure that we have adequate facilities.

 “We had a rough ride with the fourth wave at the Princess Margaret Hospital and the Rand Memorial hospital and we need to make sure that we have additional beds.”