Except for CRH, the west not ready for cases like Jodian Fearon’s
EXCEPT FOR the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH), in Montego Bay, there is no other public medical facility in western Jamaica that is equipped to handle a case like that of Jodian Fearon, who died under controversial circumstances after she was reportedly turned away by three health facilities in Kingston while on the verge of giving birth.
Errol Greene, the regional director of the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA), told The Gleaner that he does not believe the other hospitals under the WRHA would be able to deal with such a case, leaving CRH, the only Type A hospital in the western region, as the only option.
“We’re buckling at the CRH because the main building is closed, and all our facilities are makeshift, but if something like that [Fearon’s case] should happen in this region, I’m sure that we would do the best we can, with the resources we have, to deal with the situation,” said Greene.
“If the other hospitals cannot manage such cases, they would refer them to CRH. Frankly, I don’t think that the Noel Holmes Hospital in Hanover, which is a Type C hospital, or the Falmouth Public Hospital in Trelawny, which is a Type B hospital, would be prepared to deal with such a situation, so that patient would have to be sent to CRH,” added Greene.
Fearon died last weekend after encountering major difficulties finding a hospital to deliver her baby because there was a reluctance to admit her out of fear that she was infected by the coronavirus. She was eventually admitted to the Spanish Town Hospital in St Catherine, where she delivered her baby. She subsequently died at another medical facility from apparent complications.
Much to the relief of her personal doctor and her family, the fear that she had the coronavirus turned out to be unfounded as a test administered to her turned up a negative result for the virus, which has resulted in seven deaths locally.
Greene’s declaration of CRH’s readiness to take on cases where COVID-19 is suspected comes against the background that the Mt Salembased facility is now equipped with 15 beds for potential COVID19 patients, including four beds with ventilators.
With regard to the queries about the availability of Cuban doctors to bolster western Jamaica’s medical cohort, the WRHA is reporting that there are currently 48 Cuban doctors stationed across the region’s four parishes, to include 17 in St James, 11 each in Trelawny and Westmoreland, and nine in Hanover.
“The doctors came into Jamaica about six weeks ago, but the last set that came in did their orientation, and once the orientation was finished, they were placed in service,” said
Greene.