CRH open for business
... despite longer wait, reduced services
THE BELEAGUERED Cornwall Regional Hospital – the largest medical facility in western Jamaica – remains open for business, but patients should brace for longer waiting periods and reduced services at the St James facility.
Officials of the hospital told a Gleaner Editors’ Forum last Thursday that despite the challenges, the hospital is still offering the best care it can, and support from the Ministry of Health has made their job somewhat easier.
Acting chief executive officer at the hospital, Alwyn Miller, said the focus, in recent months, has been to relocate the services in the main building with 90 per cent of services now restored.
“We are offering all the services but on a scaled level. Previously, we had a bed complement of 428; we are currently down to about 250 (between Cornwall Regional and Falmouth hospitals). Our goal is to bring that up to 75 per cent of the previous complement,” said Miller.
“All in-patient services are off the main building, meaning that where patients are hospitalised in wards, etc, they are now located in wards that are off the building.
“In terms of the services that remain on the building, they are limited to support services, general stores, morgue and maintenance,” added Miller.
He pointed out that radiotherapy also continues to provide service, but the plan is to relocate existing support services and some equipment that remains on the building.
The Trelawny-based Falmouth Hospital, which has come to the rescue of Cornwall Regional, and which received an injection of capital and facilities for the Cricket World Cup in 2007, is now providing operating theatre usage for its St James-located sister hospital.
AIMING TO MAINTAIN PROPER PATIENT CARE
Clinical coordinator at Cornwall Regional, Dr Delroy Fray, said significant juggling had to be done to maintain proper patient care.
“Emergency services were reestablished within the first month to an area on the compound. Our clinics were relocated to the West Jamaica Conference (premises); we retrofitted that area.
“We are working at more than 90 per cent capacity as it relates to clinics. Laboratory services were established in retrofitted containers, and the data now show that we are over 90 per cent there,” Fray told Gleaner editors and reporters.