More problems at CRH as fallout deepens
Nurses call in sick, more services being relocated
WESTERN BUREAU: AS THE Government continues to scramble in its bid to properly manage the fallout caused by the ongoing problems plaguing the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) in Montego Bay, more services are being transferred from the hospital to other facilities in the parish.
In a release from the Ministry of Health (MOH) yesterday, it was disclosed that the transfer of service from the hospital to other facilities is primarily designed to ensure access to health care for residents in western Jamaica.
“The aim is to scale down operations at the main CRH building, which will only be utilised for emergency services and other services such as radiology, which cannot readily be relocated until renovation and cleaning can be completed,” the release stated. “This strategy aims to safeguard the health of staff and patients and ensure continuity of care to residents in the area.”
However, it is likely that any use of the hospital could be problematic as yesterday, nurses, some of whom have been affected by the noxious fumes, which has caused the problem at the hospital, called in sick, leaving the manning of the hospital to student nurses and doctors.
“I understand a number of nurses, maybe 33 per cent of the capacity, did not turn up for work,” Dr Winston De La Haye, chief medical officer in the Ministry of Health, told The Gleaner yesterday. “It is a surprise to me, considering we had an emergency meeting yesterday where we discussed the operation at Cornwall, which involves primarily the Ministry of Health taking command and control of the situation, implementing an emergency operations centre reporting directly to the central ministry through myself, the permanent secretary, and the minister.”
50 PER CENT OF SERVICES RELOCATED
In outlining the status of the ongoing relocation of operation of the CRH, the MOH stated that approximately 50 per cent of the services previously offered there have now been relocated. Some of the earlier action included the relocation of: Accident and emergency, triage, and management of patients with ‘green’ and ‘yellow’ tickets to the Mt Salem Health Centre Medical and surgical clinics and physiotherapy to West Jamaica Conference Centre Maternal and child health to the
Emmanuel Chapel, Vernon’s Drive, Mt Salem Obstetrics and gynaecology clinics to the Barnet Clinic off Cottage Road (the Clock) Mental health services to the Holy Trinity Church, Miriam Way. The MOH said that other relocations would be made to the Western Jamaica Conference Centre, which is already being heavily used.