X-ray, A/C woes at Spanish Town Hospital
THE MAIN X-ray unit at the Spanish Town Hospital, which has been out of service for at least a month, is expected to be back in operation in the next two weeks, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jacqueline Ellis has pledged.
Ellis said that patients in need of X-rays have been referred to the nearby St Jago Park Health Centre, as well as Oasis Health Care Limited, which is financed by the hospital.
A small portable machine is being used at the hospital for emergency X-ray examinations, the CEO said.
An X-ray tube that has a replacement cost of US$12,000 and which is critical for machine functionality is scheduled to arrive soon.
“The tube is not done locally. Because of the expiration date, it is not something that can be stocked. You [have] to purchase it based on the need at the time ... . The lifespan of it is very short,” Ellis explained.
Meanwhile, a malfunctioning airconditioning unit which has triggered rising tempers and temperatures in the operating and labour rooms, as well as the maternity operating theatre, is scheduled to be rectified this week, Ellis reported.
Staff within the maternity operating theatre will no longer be inconvenienced, said Ellis, as a new unit will be installed by the end of the week.
Other areas of concern, she said, included the maternity ward’s AC unit, which she described as “limping” but still functional.
Ellis said that the entire central system was in need of an overhaul but disclosed that procurement activities were under way.