Don’t raise panic about CRH, Tufton warns
WESTERN BUREAU: HEALTH MINISTER Dr Christopher Tufton has cautioned against spreading undue panic about the state of affairs at the problem-plagued Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) in Montego Bay as this could cause persons in need of urgent medical care to stay away to their detriment.
Tufton sounded the warning following a tour of the 400-bed, Type A hospital, yesterday. His visit was to assess the restorative work being done at the facility following a fresh outbreak of noxious fumes last month.
“There is a tendency to give an impression that persons who need help should not go to Cornwall Regional Hospital because it is not providing any help. But the building that is affected and is being repaired does not represent the services we provide. CRH still provides critical services to its patients,” Tufton stated.
He said t hat despite t he limitations and the need to renovate and restore the building, citizens should not feel that they cannot visit the facility to access critical services even if it means some inconvenience in getting those services.
“No one should spread panic because doing so could cost people their lives,”Tufton advised.
WESTERN BUREAU: HEALTH MINISTER Dr Christopher Tufton says the physical appearance of medical facilities must play a role in the care and wellness of patients, and, as a consequence, he wants the maintenance of facilities such as the Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay to get priority attention.
Tufton yesterday toured the facility, which is struggling with an emission of noxious fumes, to assess the progress of restoration work that is taking place there. He was accompanied by representatives from his ministry and the Western Regional Health Authority.
“This building, if you look at it aesthetically, appears like an ancient relic to be confined to a scrap heap,” said Tufton, who has been touring the hospital on a monthly basis since t he outbreak of the noxious fumes over a year ago. “I am not taking back my talk when I say it.
“Critical services are inside, and doctors and nurses, but when you approach the building and look at it from the back or the side, it looks like it could create or increase the depression that one may be suffering and has come to get service for,” added Tufton.
The minister disclosed that one of the focuses of his upcoming compassionate care programme would be on i mproving the general environment of facilities, where patients come to receive treatment.
“Clinical support to our people is not just about the clinical expertise that drives assessment of ailments, prescription of medication, and provision of clinical services. It is also about the look and feel of the facilities,” said Tufton. “It is therapeutic for people to wait for services in an environment that looks and feels clean and where people can feel like they are somebody.”
He added: “Part of the new arrangement has to be that we improve the maintenance services of our critical infrastructures like [this facility]. In situations where we have larger or more sophisticated facilities like our Type A hospitals, including Cornwall Regional Hospital, our maintenance arrangements have to be a lot better than they are.”