More doctors and nurses to be deployed at Emergency Room and clinics, while construction of new Renal Centre is underway

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SLB-MSJMC

An increase in the number of healthcare workers at the public hospital and at the clinics across the island is being undertaken.

This week, again, the Cabinet reportedly held discussions about the time spent seeking attention at the Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre.   In some instances, patients have said, it can take up to 12 hours before one sees a doctor.

The Director of the hospital and the Chairperson of its Board reportedly told the Executive that the challenge of any emergency room is determined by the volume of patients seeking emergency care.

Reportedly, more than 40,000 patients visit the hospital on an annual basis, and earlier research revealed that most of those who visit the Emergency Room require “urgent care” and not “emergency care.”  However, all who show up are treated.

Therefore, the hospital officials say, they are working to increase the number of doctors and nurses in the Emergency Room in order to reduce patients’ wait time.

There will also be an increase in the number of doctors at the clinics, since “urgent care” is dispensed at these healthcare facilities, as well.

According to this week’s Cabinet Notes, the clinics fall under the control of the Chief Medical Officer; therefore, increases in the number of personnel, as well as scheduling changes, are not the remit of the hospital Director.

The proposed changes to the functioning of the clinics will be addressed shortly, the Notes say.

Meanwhile, construction of the new Renal and Dialysis Centre at the old Edward Ward on the Holberton Hospital compound is reportedly underway and within prospective deadlines.

Upon completion, the old unit at the hospital will be converted into a Cardiology and Heart Health Unit, in collaboration with a world-renowned medical centre from the United States.

In the meantime, the Ministry of Health will begin to screen residents for rheumatic fever.

Minister of Health Sir Molwyn Joseph says that an epidemiological unit is to be built by the Ministry of Works, and this will improve upon the one which now exists.

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4 COMMENTS

    • The hospital absolutely need to get its act together. The ER dept definitely needs to be overhauled and similar to the bigger countries in Europe & North America, patients should be able to file complaints about nurses & doctors malpractices and are allowed to have the matter addressed. Some doctors & nurse malpractices are swept silently under the table!

  2. Healthcare in Antigua and Barbuda is only of concern when it’s election time.
    Where was the concern when private doctors were not seeing patients during lockdown and only the ER and clinic doctors were seeing people?
    Where was the concern when knighthood was sharing?
    Where was the concern when Gaston hid and got the covid vaccine?
    In st.kitts, quite a few medical doctors are in politics, don’t the politicians in Antigua know that medical doctors when sufficiently fed up, can easily take away their role?
    Where are they getting doctors and nurses from?
    Nigeria? Are they coming on the Antigua Airways inaugural flight? The Nigerians will not do.
    Please know that we no want no more Cuban who can’t talk English tending to we!!!

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