Map displays the current (or possible) available health facilities for the people of the North. These include St Joseph hospital- now allowed to be destroyed by the BLP. The Geriatric Hospital at River Bay area – to be upgraded to a Geriatric center with Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapists etc etc.The Maurice Byer Polyclinic. The Black Rock Polyclinic- which is more easily accessed than the Maurice Byer Polyclinic to those who are challenged in an ambulatory way.The St Andrew folk have as Warrens Polyclinic as an alternative
A- my proposed catchment area for Warrens Polyclinic (area 2) in green. B- my proposed catchment area for a Clinic at Hothersal Turning (area 3) in orange. C- my proposed catchment area for a Clinic on Highway 4 below the junction of Highway 4 and Highway X. I have noted in any detail the catchment areas for areas 5, 6 & 7. My “areas” are of course related to our 7 major highways. The numbers 7 on the map refer to the existing clinics on/off highway 7, ie Oistins Clinic and Sir Winston Scott Polyclinic The number 6 refers to Edgar Cochrane Clinic. The designation 5/6 refers to Six Roads Clinic.
Submitted by BU Commenter: Georgie Porgie
The new St. John Polyclinic will be completed as a matter of priority and other capital investments, both private and public, in the health care sector will be undertaken to ensure the restoration of Barbados place as a number one community health care provider, he noted.
I read the above nonsense in today’s advocate, and wonder why one would follow such an idea. Any clinic to serve the interests of the St John folk is best sited below Salters intersection where Highways X and 4 meet. By placing the clinic at this location we enlarge its catchment area, because the catchment area for such a clinic will then be most of St George, most of St John, sections of northern St Philip and an area in the central easterly section of St Michael.
We need to stop thinking parochially and in terms of constituencies, and think in terms of regions served by available public transport. To place a clinic in St John where the abandoned clinic is sited is out of the way for most St John residents using the current bus system. Currently there is a badly sited clinic at the Glebe and there was one at Gall Hill. Both of these satellite clinics Satellite clinics at these sites were established in the fifties by the late Prof Standard. But now these clinics should be amalgamated and cited below Salters intersection where Highways X and 4 meet, and where they really belong. Such a move facilitates attendance by those who depend on the public transport services in the central easterly section of St Michael.
Relocation of these clinics will also free up the building at the Glebe, and the abandoned building in St John for use as a center for educational, social and other activities (police station, courts etc, library post office, as at Holetown. By placing the Zone four Polyclinic/Emergency Center below below Salters intersection where Highways X and 4 meet, we enlarge its catchment area, and get more bang for our buck! We also free up the building at the Glebe, and the abandoned building in St John for use as a center for educational, social and other activities.
Finally the clinic does not have to be a sprawling monstrosity as some of those currently existing, in which there is a lot of unused space.
BU you are trying to be controversial.
Right. Do you know any of the persons who currently use the clinic at Gall Hill? Surely you must have spoken to someone/several someones (LOL) to come to this conclusion?
While I don’t care where they put it since I do not live in St. John, the people of St. John and the babies of St. John deserve a clinic somewhere in St. John.
The clinic at Gall Hill is utilised by people living in St. John, the St. Philip clinic by people who live in St. Philip. People in St. Philip also use the clinic in Oistins. St. George residents use the Glebe or the Winston Scott clinic. St. Michael has Winston Scott, Edgar Cochrane, Warrens, Black Rock. The north, Maurice Byer.
I said all that to say this, there is obviously a need for a modern clinic in St. John. Shouldn’t persons be able to walk to a clinic? You ever went into a polyclinic though? Ever saw a child health day? Somehow I doubt it.
BTW, more than a few people who you would think should be utilising gov’t run clinics attend private GPs. Go figure.
BU, did I blame you wrongfully and should really be addressing GP? If so, sorry. Really can’t tell who authored the above article.
Oh ho, you now made it clear. Thanks.
Barbados is too small to have so many polyclinics all over the place. The bigger the health plant the more cost to the tax payers.
Sam, Gangee
No one is trying to be controversial.
The point is not having a clinic IN St John but having a clinic FOR St John. Before you rant as you have done thus “The clinic at Gall Hill is utilised by people living in St. John, the St. Philip clinic by people who live in St. Philip. People in St. Philip also use the clinic in Oistins. St. George residents use the Glebe or the Winston Scott clinic. St. Michael has Winston Scott, Edgar Cochrane, Warrens, Black Rock. The north, Maurice Byer,” Think!
By you argument, there should be a clinic in St Lucy, one in St Thomas and one in St Joseph and one in St Andrew. However, Warrens -the best sited of all of our clinics serves most of St Thomas, and St Andrew, as well as parts of St James, St Peter and St Michael. MBPC serves St Lucy, St Peter, parts of St Andrew, Northern St James .
You are thinking parochially, not logically, or historically or regionally, or nationally. My proposal is part of a national plan. The clinics in the Glebe and at Gall Hill were set up as satellite clinics of Six Roads Health Center in the fifties. I do not know the demographics or transport issues that favored that decision then. But I know that many people who go to public clinics now go by public transport. If you put a clinic in Colleton or Gall Hill, it will not serve the majority of folk in St John. There is a wedge of St John from which traffic to Bridgetown traverses eastern St George via Highway 3…..it does not cut acroos the parish to Gall HIll or Colleton.
Similarly, there is a wedge of St John from which traffic to Bridgetown traverses western St Philip via Highway 5. The rest of St John uses Highway 4 in addition to much of St George and St Philip. The correct sitting of the clinic will enlargen the catchment area of the clinic. This clinic will also serve as the Accident and Emergency center for this zone of the country, with the view of taking the load of unnecessary primary care attendances at the QEH. Such a regional clinic would have a 24/7 A&E section with asthma bays and an observation ward.
Not only have I served in the clinic at Gall Hill, but I have also served at most of the clinics you mentioned, and yes I served in Child Health Clinics too. Whereas many folk attend private GPs they are others who attend public clinics.
FYI there is a basic Public Health principle that most folk who attend public clinics do so by public transportation. This principle underlies my suggestion.
I find it interesting that many posters on this forum jump into challenge posts with little or no knowledge of the subject, and in so doing seek to denigrate others who have spent their lives in the area that they are challenging. Simultaneously, they let their emotions get the better of them, rather than logic. There is much merit in my suggestion. Just take the map and see how public transport works in Barbados.
Because of its large and tightly packed populace St. Michael must of necessity be served by Winston Scott clinic, Edgar Cochrane, Warrens, Black Rock etc.
The anandoned center at Colleton could easily be converted to a center for the Arts & Culture, and the location for a branch library, police station, law courts and other public offices.
Barbados is too small to have so many polyclinics all over the place. The bigger the health plant the more cost to the tax payers.
==============================
Not true! Thinking of the future, and the continued growth of the population and the expectations of the populace there is a need for suitable centers for primary and secondary care, both for the convenience and need of the residents and as part of the solution of decreasing the improper use of the QEH A&E Department.
You have obviously not been part of one of our crowded polyclinics on the go!
At any rate, the proposal cited in the Advocate was to add a clinic in St John. My proposal was to amalgamate the existing one at the Glebe with the one that government is thinking of resurrecting (i.e one less for this region which I cal zone 4). Of course they will do as they wish. But I have the right to give my two cents worth. I am a Bajan, and received free Education. So I should contribute to Health care debates at least.
Excellent suggestion GP.
I am very concerned that some new ministers are listening to their civil service advisers and rushing off to make hasty public statements.
CHANGE means doing things DIFFERENTLY. This may well mean listening to a variety of different ideas (and people) before deciding on some of these options. (This is why I have problems with those calling for immediate drastic actions by this DLP government)
That whole Health ‘thing’ NEEDS a complete rethink, and a whole NEW approach.
I also heard Minister Hutson jumping on to the “Building Authority bandwagon” (…some civil servant looking to build a kingdom). I heard the Chamber of Commerce and the Engineers Association making suggestions for a re-look at that plan. Has the Minister heard their concerns?
What is the DLP hurry?…. take the time to do it right.
GP believe it or not but we agree with Bush tea on your suggestion. How do we staff the operation? Do we import the labour?
David,
Are you SURE!!!
You AGREE with Bush tea?? … man I better review my support of GP yuh!!…You like you had a good valentine….
…but what labour you want to import now? You always looking to raise up strife…
Bush tea it is well published that the previous government imported Asian labour to complement the local healthcare workers.
Did it have something to do with Barbados being unable to hold on to its doctors and nurses? Any plan to reorganize the physical design/structure of the health system must include the HR side of things.
Georgie Porgie is clearly right about the location.
In the process he raises a number of important “side” issues including (a) how we ease congestion by shaking up this to and fro Bridgetown transport network that is a hangover from the 19th century Barbadian economy and (b) the priority we should place on poly clinics versus QEH
QEH carries even more symbolic importance than its critical important to our health “service”, but the key bulwark for public health is actually the local poly clinics. I think we need to prioritise investing in more poly clinics with more well-trained nursing staff.
What do others think the right health system should be? One suggestion that follows on from Georgie Porgie is a three pronged approach of (1) a strong network of local poly clinics, (2) a focused national A&E service at QEH, and (3) separate, locally based facilities for in and out patient long-term care. We have elements of this. What do others think?
GP said,
“I find it interesting that many posters on this forum jump into challenge posts with little or no knowledge of the subject, and in so doing seek to denigrate others who have spent their lives in the area that they are challenging. Simultaneously, they let their emotions get the better of them, rather than logic.”
I should assume you do not mean me, since you know me not, while you have already told us how many degrees you have and in what areas. Therefore you are the resident expert on many subjects on these blogs.
Me, I am a little more humble. If I was in the business of exposing my business I could tell you what qualified me to comment but that is unimportant here.
Nevertheless, the question remains even though I thought at the time of posting that I was addressing BU as the author;
“Do you know any of the persons who currently use the clinic at Gall Hill? Surely you must have spoken to someone/several someones (LOL) to come to this conclusion?”
Stay over ‘in away’ and decide in your expert opinion that there is no need for a clinic in St. John. Good for you, but I am entitled to disagree.
I am also positive I have never sought to denigrate anyone on this blog. If you feel that I am not in a position to disagree with you, you are entitled to keep that feeling. Makes no difference to me.
Dear David,
You said “…it is well published that the previous government imported Asian labour to complement the local healthcare workers. Did it have something to do with Barbados being unable to hold on to its doctors and nurses?…”
Thank you for making my point on the benefits of immigration. Many of our doctors and nurses go abroad to work for higher wages in rich economies, principally Canada, UK and US. To keep them we would have to pay developed country wages from a developing country budget. This cost reduces our ability to deliver health care.
The alternative is that we bring in well-qualified doctors and nurses from abroad and we treat more people for every dollar we spend. Given that average wages in the UK, Canada and US are 2-3 times ours, this will have significant boost to the amount of health care we can provide. Immigration reduces our costs and improves delivery of public health care. If you are waiting at QEH in pain would you insist on seeing a Barbadian doctor next week or a certified Ghanian doctor straight away? This benefit of immigration applies to other sectors and whether they are skilled or not.
But instead, some people would rather a kind of Ujama self-sufficiency economics that Dr Nyerere (a well-intentioned man) introduced and ruined Tanzania so much that it was abandoned.
The public health budget should be focused on getting the best public health outcomes we can for every dollar we spend. Used wisely (such as in the HR budget) these savings and better health care will help us develop the kind of economy and society that professional Barbadians want to stay in.
A middle route is to insist that those who are trained publicly spend a certain amount of time in the public system and there are elements of that in place in medical training already, but this will only defer the problem to when the handcuffs are off”
I’m partially from St.John and I think part of this whole issue is about giving something to that neglected parish.
I agree that the location isn’t the greatest, but it’s been started and left for so long, it would be nice to actually finish it.
I’d like to know though, if the current structure is worth investing in. The last time I saw it, it was a total mess.
I think they may have to weigh the cost of de-bushing it against the cost of starting a completely new one.
However, as I said, I’m partially from St. John and I think it’s about time that faithful parish got something.
David,
I done with this topic…. we gone to the dogs… It look like Gresham agreeing with our position.
You must be missing something GP….
I was born in St. John, very close to where the abandoned building is located and I honestly do not think it is worth recommencing work there to complete the Polyclinic. It can be used for something else. Debushing and looking for structural shifts might be very costly and plus the structure is in a bottom. Maybe the Gov’t can source another location which can service St. John, parts of St. George and St. Joseph. These parishes border one another. If this is done maybe the Gov’t can provide transportation and have specific locations where persons can be picked up and taken to the clinic and vice-versa.
Although we agree with the suggestion by GP in broad terms we somehow think that politics will flavour the decision on the polyclinic. It was used as a symbol of the neglect which the former government visited on St. John. No way will Thompson the PM and MP for that constituency not want to finish it.
David has hit the nail on the head when he posits
“Although we agree with the suggestion by GP in broad terms we somehow think that politics will flavour the decision on the polyclinic. It was used as a symbol of the neglect which the former government visited on St. John. No way will Thompson the PM and MP for that constituency not want to finish it.”
David is sadly very correct. Maybe that is why one of the first things we hear as a priority for national health care delivery is to finish the clinic in the wrong location in St John.
In Barbados, we love to leave legacies of our erections, rather than on our propensity for right thinking and common sense.
Tony Hall suggests
Maybe the Gov’t can source another location which can service St. John, parts of St. George and St. Joseph. These parishes border one another. If this is done maybe the Gov’t can provide transportation and have specific locations where persons can be picked up and taken to the clinic and vice-versa.
===========================
Tony it is true that these parishes border each other physically, but logistically in terms of how our transport system works they don’t. It is not the business of a health system to ferry patients to clinic as you suggest. Patients are ferried in ambulances in emergency situations.
Bush tea
I don’t see that because Gresham agrees with our position that I am missing anything. Whereas I have not revealed my entire proposal on the forum yet, it is very obvious that Gresham has picked the ball out of my hand, and has seen it long before it has hit the pitch, because it is clear that he fully understands what I am suggesting in all respects.
Bush tea, you may very well be correct when you suggest that some new ministers might be listening to their civil service advisers and rushing off to make hasty public statements. I would hate to think that the Minister of Health is listening to a medical illiterate.
Whereas time should be taken to do things correctly, as you opine, there are things that can be done differently immediately to change things in the delivery of health care to the general public. As you said CHANGE means doing things DIFFERENTLY, and doing so by listening to a variety of different ideas (and people) before deciding on some of these options.
GoWeb
I agree with you that part of this whole issue is about giving something to that neglected parish. And I have no problem at all with St John being developed to its maximum, because there are many sites in St John that I love very much.
I notice that you agree that the location isn’t the greatest, so why would you want to put the clinic there, when the current structure might be put to better use in the service of St John folk? Police station, post office library, cultural center etc
Sam Gamgee
I am not the resident expert on any subject on these blogs. However, I have researched the issue of healthcare for our public service since 1976, and I often comment on theological issues because I love to do so.
Whereas you, might indeed be most qualified to comment on this topic, you have not so far added anything to the debate by your arguments. BTW I decided that there is no need for a clinic IN St. John long, long before I went away. I reiterate, the issue is NOT a clinic IN St John, but a clinic FOR St John residents. If you read the major tenet of my proposal you will indeed see that there is much merit in my proposal. Certainly, at any rate the completion of a new St. John Polyclinic is not a matter of priority in improving things at the hospital, or national Health care in general.
David asked “How do we staff the operation? Do we import the labour?
With respect to medical personnel, that is fairly easy. I don’t think that there will be a dearth of doctors. To be registered to practice Medicine in Barbados, one must complete an internship of one year in our teaching hospital. It would be quite easy to amend the requirements so that all doctors seeking to be added to the register, be required to complete an extra year of service; part in the polyclinic service and part in the A& E Dept at the QEH.
Young GP’s who have had the A&E training should be invited to do sessional part time work in the polyclinics at nights and weekends; since most of the polyclinics should become 24/7 extensions of what now exists at the QEH. The idea is to free up the QEH A&E Dept from the mostly unnecessary primary care that presents there daily, that can be dealt with elsewhere.
The major problem might be with keeping the nursing staff.
Thomas Gresham has hit the nail on the head consistently in his responses.
Example # 1 He states “A middle route is to insist that those who are trained publicly spend a certain amount of time in the public system and there are elements of that in place in medical training already, but this will only defer the problem to when the handcuffs are off.”
This view is exactly what I have stated in another post When a person has served their bond they can do sessions part time as noted in another post, but there should be a financial incentive to do so. I once taught part time at the BCC for the fun of it, because there was no financial incentive to do so. About 50% of the pay went in taxes and NIS. There are surely many retired well trained personnel in Bim who could certainly carry the BCC to a much higher level, if the pay was better. Young doctors seeking to start a practice would be glad to have some sure money coming in by doing sessions in the clinics.
Example # 2 Gresham points out correctly that “Any plan to reorganize the physical design/structure of the health system must include the HR side of things.”
Some doctors who go away to study do not return home, and a few do go away for various reasons, but I think that we have enough doctors to cope.
We are certainly unable to hold onto our nurses now as the US and UK have in the last decade been recruiting nurses heavily from abroad in order to keep up with the demands of their “baby boomers.”
It is to be noted that it is easier to get a job overseas as a nurse than as a doctor.
We might have to import nurses unless we can pay our local nurses better. Bear in mind that many of the nurses in the polyclinics are some of our most senior nurses. Also not everyone really wants to leave home.
Example # 3 Gresham asserts correctly that “The public health budget should be focused on getting the best public health outcomes we can for every dollar we spend.” It is for just that reason that it is better to site the clinics correctly such that there is one clinic at Salters, instead of one in the Glebe, and one in St John. This was pointed out the BLP folk since 1985. It fell on death ears then, and it will do so now. Folk in Government don’t spend their own money, they spend the taxpayers money in a hodge podge, slap dash, willy nilly way.
Gresham continues “Used wisely (such as in the HR budget) these savings and better health care will help us develop the kind of economy and society that professional Barbadians want to stay in.” That’s why some folk are “over in a way” they were marginalized and pushed away.
Example # 4 Gresham has also perceived the benefits of putting the priority of a system of peripheral clinics in place to ease the congestion in the QEH A&E department by shaking up this to and fro Bridgetown transport network that is a hangover from the 19th century Barbadian economy. As poor people we all traditionally descended at our casualty, often thinking that we were at death’s door because of whatever symptom we had. We need not do this anymore. We can pay our GP’s or go to the polyclinic, and ease the congestion of the QEH A&E department.
The priority is not building a clinic in St John. The priority is TEACHING OUR FOLK WHEN TO GO TO THE QEH. WE MUST DEVELOP A SERVICE THAT GIVES THEM CONFIDENCE THAT THEY WILL BE SEEN QUICKLY AT A POLYCLINIC AND TRIAGED AND SENT TO QEH IF NEEDED FAIRLY PROMPTLY.
THERE IS NO NEED IN 2008 TO BE CLOGGING UP THE QEH A& E DEPT!
The right health system should be as Gresham has outlined here (and as I have already submitted to the authorities,without even the courtesy of an acknowledgement of receipt), namely
(1) a strong network of local poly clinics,
(2) a focused national A&E service at QEH, and
(3) separate, locally based facilities for in and out patient long-term care.
Believe you me, there are in Barbados, and in the diaspora those that are capable of improving life in Barbados. Unfortunately, we are often not in Government, or the party in power, and so often, no one will listen to common sense.
This post unfortunately does not reflect the true background to the St. John Polyclinic building which was built to include a public health education centre and other public facilities including a day nursery!
Check it for yourself with the Ministry of Health.
So Leviticus are you saying that public health education does not occur at all the other polyclinics? Are you saying that all the other polyclinics are not public health education centers? Are you aware that education is one of the foundations of public health?
We have already agreed that the building which has been anandoned for almpost 2o years could be used for public facilities including a day nursery.
The point is that its location at Colleton does not give us the best return on investment in terms of the catchment area if it were relocated to an optimum site.
Leviticus, on this thread only GP’s opinion matters.
Sam Gamgee, you need not be sarcastic because I can defend by opinion eriditely.
In fact my opinion does not matter at all. The Government will put the clinic at Colleton, if it pleases , just as the BLP put the clinic at the Glebe and put MBPC clinic at a site that discomfits the elderly from the north, and as the DLP sited BRPC on a small area that permits no parking.
The Government will do as it pleases, anyway. But I stand by my position on the basis of what I learned in my Public Health training.
ERUDITELY GP. You realise I am just having fun with you of course! You just too touchous!
That was a typo Sam. There needs to be a facility here to alter errors in post if you catch them late..
But seriously, Governments often do not listen to proper advice the Glebe/Colleton amalgamated clinic could have been constructed long ago. The proper advice was given early in 1985!
MBPC was built before the new bus stand in Speighstown. Remember the original health center was in Speighstown. Now the elderly have to walk up hill for almost a mile to get to clinic.
When BRPC was completed, before we entered it, we realized that parking was minimal.
At that time there was a jolly rebel pharmacist from St Philip who was being penalised by sending him to work at BRPC. He immediately noticed that the Pharmacy was too small, and that there was little room for privacy in counseling the patients.
We suggested that in trying to fix the problem that all Government pharmacies should be standardised in thier construction and layout to facilitate the transfer of personnel as is often done willy nilly in the Public Service.
I recall that as we discussed that then, that I recalled a popular broadcaster who had worked for Rediffusion telling me as a student at Mona, that he was moonlighting at RJR and found that the layout there was exactly the same as he knew at Barbados Rediffusion.
Do you know that it is more convenient for an elderly person from Josey Hill or Connell town to attend BRPC by bus than to attend MBPC?
GP, I do not even know why I trying to stress you out.
What is wrong with a little exercise resident physician?
I do not live in St. John. Gov’t clinics are not a necessity in my life. All I asked was if persons utilising the clinic were canvassed as to the need for a clinic in their parish and you went off in a huff.
Frankly I do not think anybody cares whether a polyclinic is built in St. John or not; except the people of St. John. Look how long ago it was abandoned and nobody died.
I have no problem as I said already with it being provided, and I do not care where in St. John.
You sure took your time admitting that your opinion (and mine) matters little when it comes to what a gov’t does.
Sam you are not stressing me out at all. Nor am I in a huff. I am having an online conversation, and I am very calm.
Nothing is wrong with exercise, but exercise is not what the elderly arthritic residents with cardiac issues need to get to clinic.
It may be that the question of a need for a clinic in St John arose from the perceived need to expand the existing facility in Gall Hill, as is/was the case with other centers.
The point I am making is that the powers at be were using sites that had been used in the past with out consideration for how most of the intended users would get there.
I do not know if persons utilizing the clinic were canvassed as to the need for a clinic in their parish. It does not really matter if canvassing was done because there is a need for clinics in the periphery of the country if we are to reduce the abuse of the QEH A&E Dept for primary care users.
We need to upgrade our polyclinics clinics to function also as mini A&E Depts, and we need to relocate the sites from which ambulances will set out in the quest to help injured or acutely ill persons. So location is pivotal. We cant in this age be sending ambulances for persons in Josey Hill, or Society, or Martin’s Bay from Bridgetown.for example.
As you have opined many might not care where the clinics are located. But those who are indeed interested in optimizing healthcare in Barbados, as I am, should care.
We have private sector health care- there are some who can afford to, and pay
for their primary and secondary health care easily. There are others who cannot afford to do so and use public care facilities. Some one must care about how their needs are best served. In addition there is the social and preventative or public health services that we must consider. This has been my major interest since qualifying. So these things matter a lot to me. Do not think that because I am overseas that I do not care. I am overseas because of how I was treated.
Location of our healthcare delivery centers therefore should really be important to us all, and not only when our friend or close relative might need the care- especially at the times when our usual care providers are unavailable.
Perhaps you can now yourself suggest where our centers should be, taking transportation and population dynamics, or other parameters that I have not mentioned into consideration. I have stressed transportation. Perhaps you can come up with a model that stresses other/more relevant parameters.
I believe that if this excercise is carried out by folk in a forum like this we might get a better result than if we depend on the Government.
It is of course pathethic that your opinion and mine matters little when it come to what government does— until just prior to an election, but we can still discuss the issues just we would keenly discuss what the tactics should be when we are watching cricket, for example.
Come on Sam
Give me a critique on this synopsis of a plan to improve our healthcare….
With the establishment of the chain of polyclinics that traverse the country presently, there is only need for patients to attend at the QEH A& E for genuine emergencies.
I believe that by decentralizing the services offered at the QEH A& E to the peripheral polyclinics, and by educating the populace as to what are really emergencies one can take a great load of the QEH A& E, and convert it to a sphere for the treatment of real emergencies, as well as a round the clock training unit for personnel who will be employed and deployed to work in the overall scheme of accident and emergency health care in Barbados.
All interns should now rotate through A& E after their normal internship period, and UWI (Cave Hill) should be given the mandate to develop a Diploma course in accident and emergency health care as motivation for the new doctors to stay on.
This general outline can be fleshed out in fine detail later. This includes accident and emergency health care training for the members of the Fire fighters who are often first responders at mass casualties.
The QEH issues can then be addressed by a small committee listening to BAMP and to the Heads and workers in every Department of QEH from the Head Surgeon down to the garbage incinerators, to ascertain their various needs, and the need for expansion.
All that has to be done can be accomplished by applying the outline …….IMMEDIATE INTERMEDIATE & LONG TERM.
Immediately (now until 8 weeks) there is need for thinking inspection and survey of all physical plant, personnel and programs, to ascertain what is in place, decide what more is needed, to project how and when the needs can/will be attained, and to determine priorities.
Intermediately, the general policy should be explained to the populace and their co-operation, and understanding sought, as the machinery cranks up and delivers all that can be realistically done in the first six months, with the existing physical plant and personnel. At this time the Minister will report to the Nation as to how well things have gone, and make reasonable pledges and projections that will facilitate the capturing of the vision by the people..
Long term issues include planning for extension of buildings to the established physical plant, erection of new buildings to expand the emergency and other services such as care of the elderly.
Come on Sam
These are some more ideas I want help to develop, man. Can you or Leviticus or Bush Tea or one of the others lend a hand?
My plan for the Public Health care for the island is based on the fact that most of the persons who attend Public Clinics do so by public transport. It respects some of the existing arrangements and seeks to improve the same
It requires the reopening of the ST JOSEPHS HOSPITAL AS A SPECIALTY HOSPITAL and for emergency cases for the north.
The plan requires the staffing of the existing polyclinics to act as a triage institution for emergencies occurring in the catchment area of each clinic with a view to reducing transit time to QEH as is currently the case, and reducing the unnecessary load on the QEH.
The plan requires that some of the polyclinics be opened 24/7, and be upgraded to be a full EMERGENCY CENTER, with a number of observation wards.
The plan requires that all POLYCLINIC/EMERGENCY CENTRES have their own ambulances which will ideally function in their catchment areas only (except under orders by the Medical officer. There MUST be other ambulances for the movement of stabilized patients from POLYCLINIC/EMERGENCY CENTRES to the QEH.
IT IS TO BE NOTED THAT THIS PLAN PUTS THE EMPHASIS ON MANPOWER AND EQUIPMENT AND PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS RATHER THAN ON EXPENSIVE BUILDINGS.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO INFORM ALL BAJANS AT THIS TIME OF THEIR EMERGENCY FACILITY, AND THAT THE QEH EMERGENCY ROOM IS OFF LIMITS UNLESS REFERRED BY A GP (AFTER CONSULTATION) THE EMERGENCY SERVICES OR A POLYCLINIC/EMERGENCY CENTER.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO INFORM ALL BAJANS THAT THEY WILL BE CHARGED FOR DUMPING THEIR ELDERLY AT EMERGENCY CENTERS.
Sam, I am desperate for some of our wise folk on the forum to help me with these ideas which have been churning over since the last admin talked about building a new hospital. Can you help Sir?
PREAMBLE TO PLAN FOR HEALTHCARE SERVICES FOR BARBADOS
1- The solution is not necessarily a new hospital, but another hospital… or /and other hospitals for special purposes……
e.g. one for maternal and child heath services etc
a serious gerontology service not just almhouses
We need to stop being emotional and political about health matters in Barbados and pursue a rational course which does not equate HOSPITAL CARE with HEALTH CARE.
We need to think instead of primary, secondary and tertiary health care, and we have to stop cursing what we do have. A lot of good work is done at QEH and a lot of new things have been done at QEH in the last 40 years. We need to think in terms of private health care and the public health care and the public preventative health care services.
Our public preventative health care services have developed solidly and well from cerca 1950 through the efforts of the late Sir Maurice Byer, Prof Ken Standard and their pioneering nursing staff and the public health inspectors.
All efforts must be made to ensure that this work is carried on and enhanced. It is imperative that the public health inspectors be empowered and facilitated in the exercise of their duties. This might mean giving them access to their own vehicles to move when they wish instead of depending on the Sanitation services.
Whereas we have very good public preventative health care services, and relatively good sanitation services, there is a need for greater empowerment and facilitation by the officers who work in these services to advance to EXCELLENCE IN THEIR WORK.
Generally speaking private health care (to those who can afford it) is relatively satisfactory. If you can pay your GP or the private accident and emergency services that were starting cerca 2003, you can get good primary and secondary health care. Sometimes, though, even the wealthy cant get tertiary Health Care at QEH because of shortages or mismanagement of resources and the facilities.
Concessions and encouragement must be given to those willing to set up tertiary Health Care facilities as exists on St Paul’s Avenue and in Belleville, on the West Coast and on the South Coast that will quickly expedite a reasonably wide range of the care needed by our visitors to the island and our residents who can pay for these services out of their pockets.
This leaves us with the matter of health care for the poor or those who prefer not to pay for health services.
2- The solution also requires the building of a few more polyclinics in their CORRECT locations, and the upgrading of all polyclinics to small but effective emergency centers with observation wards. If we fix or improve the delivery of primary and secondary care in the periphery to those who are indigent or poor, we will thereby take the pressure of the tertiary care institution, the QEH
3- The solution also requires at least seven polyclinics each with at least THREE FUNCTIONING AMBULANCES….minimum.
4- Polyclinics must be located at the apices of the wedges formed by the highways that bring traffic into Bridgetown. This is because most folk who attend clinic do so by public transport, and because these roads are the backbone of our transport system. Let us remember that “everywhere people tend to depend on public transport to come for primary care”. Overloading any particular polyclinic is easily done by PROPER REGISTRATION, similar to electoral registration and national registration.
5- Essentially all catchment areas should be served by ambulances which move within its area, except in cases of obvious dire emergency. Otherwise ambulances should move in its catchment area and back to its polyclinic for triage, admission for observation there or stabalization to QEH. Additional ambulances should move from polyclinic/ emergency system to QEH.
6-We have to think healthwise in terms of REGIONS and not PAROCHIALLY, because we can not duplicate services for every parish or constituency, nor do we need to do so.
Under this system ONLY REAL EMERGENCIES WOULD BE SEEN AT QEH……..NOT WHAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC THINKS IS AN EMERGENCY!
7-The solution for the Health care of each catchment area is based on the fact that most of the persons who attend Public Clinics do so by public transport.
8- The solution must respect the existing arrangements and seek to improve the same. Health care efforts must reach out to the periphery and not revolve around the QEH, or some new major hospital.
9- The staffing of ALL polyclinics must be upgraded to be full EMERGENCY CENTERS, each with a number of observation wards. They will act as a triage institution for emergencies occurring in the respective catchment area during the day so as to reduce both the transit time to QEH as is currently the case, and reduce the unnecessary load on the QEH. The solution requires that SOME polyclinics be opened 24/7, for this purpose, and that Medical officers trained in cardiorespiratory disciplines and surgery be on call for emergencies of this sort at these clinics.
10- ALL POLYCLINIC/EMERGENCY CENTRES must have their own ambulances which will ideally function in their catchment areas only (except under orders by the Medical officer. There MUST be other ambulances for the movement of stabilized patients from POLYCLINIC/EMERGENCY CENTRES to the QEH.
11- ALL POLYCLINIC ZONES must have their own garbage trucks. In other words the disposal of garbage should be supervised by the MOH of the polyclinic, so that the PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES can do their jobs in a timely fashion as determined by the MOH and his Public Health Inspectors, and not at the whim of the Sanitation Services Department.
12- IT IS TO BE NOTED THAT THIS PLAN PUTS THE EMPHASIS ON MANPOWER AND EQUIPMENT AND PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS RATHER THAN ON EXPENSIVE BUILDINGS.
13- IT IS IMPORTANT TO INFORM ALL BAJANS AT THIS TIME OF THEIR EMERGENCY FACILITY, AND THAT THE QEH EMERGENCY ROOM IS OFF LIMITS UNLESS REFERRED BY A GP (AFTER CONSULTATIN) THE EMERGENCY SERVICES OR A POLYCLINIC/EMERGENCY CENTER.
It is imperative that Bajans be taught that the QEH is not the first place to go to seek medical attention. This imbred tradition must be forcibly be wiped away from the psyches of the general public, and of errant politicians seeking political points. Bajans must understand that the QEH and other facilities like it that might be raised up to relieve the pressure thereon for strategic or other reasons, are places where loved ones are VISITED, or where loved ones are SENT; either directly by experienced general practioners after consultation with A & E officials, or SENT by officers from the LOCAL POLYCLINICS/MINI A& E DEPARTMENTS.
14- IT IS IMPORTANT TO INFORM ALL BAJANS THAT THEY WILL BE CHARGED FOR DUMPING THEIR ELDERLY AT EMERGENCY CENTERS.
15 There is a need to assess the availability and current status of all ALL AVAILABLE HEALTH SERVICES AND PERSONEL in Barbados and to see what can be done to improve them so that we can improve health care in Barbados. We definitely need to appreciate what we have attained in health care in Barbados and improve on it
16 All the planning and solutions needed can be done by Bajans; some at home and those like me in exile because the BLP took bread out of my mouth. There is no need to bring in consultants like the BLP did in 1976 to regurgitate in their reports what they are told by Bajans who have worked for years in our health system and know what is needed to fix it.
We need to respect and consult our knowledgeable resource people whether or not they are of our political persausion
GP, you realise that only you and then me trying to calm you down are the ones posting here?
No one cares. It is not a sexy enough topic. You could try contacting Dr. David Estwick the new Min. of Health. In my neck of the health-woods I can safely tell you that we are going nowhere fast and I cannot/ would never speak to you about that here.
Give it up.
Sam its its very sad to here you say thay speaking from your position in health that Bim is going nowhere fast. Since I of course do not know you I had no way of knowing that this is an off limit topic.
However, in saying that you have explained a lot. Thanks. GP
Sam it seems to me that nothing has changed after the vote for change. It seems that you are saying that in your neck of the health woods that one can not speak freely.
I cannot understand why health is only important when someone has a stumped toe that they think is an emergency to be treated at QEH.
Where I am it is nothing to do with politics. Politicians cannot be blamed for everything. Just lots of square pegs in round holes to coin somebody’s phrase.
The vision for health is faded or cloudy, I am not sure. I think this administration means well though, which is why I suggested you write the new Min.
N.B I am only speaking from my particular vantage point.
Regardless, I think B’dians are blessed to be born in this place. I am grateful to have been born here since I could very well have been born in a more dismal place.
I have been checking out Haiti since I have some friends there and that lets me know that B’dos is a gem regardless of its problems, real or imagined. Compared to there, this country gets 100% from me, so I am therefore sobered by this fact when instead I would be fretting.
The world is a really big place if one thinks about it so I try at all times to see the bigger picture.
Oh by the way lots of people also go to polyclinics by car. There are a host of cars in Bim.
It is really the enforcement of health laws of which there are many which could make a difference. A simple thing like the provision of a garbage can at one’s residence is law but seems instead to be optional.
Sam I know that lots of people go to clinic by car- I have not been exiled that long. And I am daily in touch. As I said, public transport and the peculiar way that our roads empty towards the apex of triangles onto our highways was only one obvious parameter used to develop my view of clinic locations. That is why I challenged you / others for other likely parameters; even if only as an intellectual exercise.
I agree with you that politicians cannot be blamed for everything, and that the many square pegs in round holes can thwart the best of ideas. I am sure that there was no vision for health in the last administration, and hope that the new administration means well as you say.
You raise an important issue about garbage disposal and the enforcement of health laws. This would lead to considerations of recycling, composting etc
Do you know that in the mid 90’s there was a Bajan who was highly commended for solid waste management in the UK, whose desire to return home was thwarted so that after 13 years we still have not opened the dump at Greenland?
Do you know that there was an offer from the French about turning our garbage to heat energy that could be used to develop electricity? Perhaps we should persue such ideas and getting some of our great personnel to return home to serve.
Like all Bajans, I boast about my country’s health system. After all there is nowhere else in the world where, if you chose, you can go to one of our public clinics, can see a doctor fairly quickly, get free Xrays and blood tests, and expensive medication to boot.
However, as I tell my American friends, I think too that we were programmed for excellence from school days, and so things that many take for granted, many of us seek to improve. Whether we can achieve it or not is not as important as thinking about it and trying.
Our “fretting” is I am sure a result of our tuition from primary school days. At Bay Street Boys where I attended first the motto was MANNERS MAKETH MAN. At the next primary school I attended it was HEAD HEART and HAND.
Actually over the past days this topic is one of the more widely read. Not sure if we read if you show how the private healthcare can be integrated in the plan. We have heard of plans to build private hospitals.
Actually over the past days this topic is one of the more widely read. Not sure if we read if you show how the private healthcare can be integrated in the plan. We have heard of plans to build private hospitals.
==============================
OK David .
I view the private healthcare as care for which you pay from your care giver whether primary, secondary or tertiary.
Once you are able, you pay your GP, or Consultant or Bayview if you need hospitalization. Or you pay on the private wards at the QEH. Those who are able to pay make this choice. In my view plans to build other private hospitals in Barbados should be welcomed by GOB and incentives given to facilitate the same, as this will save money going out of the care for over priced healthcare elsewhere, which is really nothing else but high way robbery. Hopefully these private hospitals will be specialist units. The fact that there are plans indicate that there is some demand- that is desire coupled to the ability to pay.
If the private sector can be encouraged to develop these facilities, perhaps the physician owners and government can work out some deal to facilitate the treatment of deserving folk who can not pay, in return for concessions granted them.
It is my view that the development of specialist units be developed with Government concessions for the benefit for everyone. The public cases may have to go last on the list as they do now at the public QEH anyway. Maybe some NIS funds could be invested to pay for public cases in private institutions. This point is one for the financiers and economists to develop.
We all ready have as good examples a few limited Private Pathology labs and a few private Radiology units, which take a weight of the QEH facilities.
We cannot expect Government to come up with all the ideas and all the facilities; but we can expect them to embrace the best thought out ideas and expect them to facilitate the professionals who are willing to put thier money where their mouths are.
Private hospitals and other private health centers are bound to be developed in Barbados because as the UWI Faculty of Medicine expands, more doctors will come on stream each year. This will start acutely in five years time, when the first graduates from the Cave Hil School of Medicine graduate.
However, GOB only has a limited number of posts for junior doctors. This means that doctors will not be allowed to work on at the hospital for long periods as they used to in the 70’s. Since we have a fairly large number of primary care doctors both in private practice and in the polyclinics, the obvious place for young doctors with sub specialties to go is into private conclaves.
They will benefit and health care in Barbados will benefit overall.
We need to clean up the QEH A& E situation quickly by taking the load of this department and facilitating its function for what it ought to be doing, and to to take it to a higher place.
Once that is that done by setting up the existing centers to work at its optimum capacity, we can complete the existing buildings and work on rehabilitating the QEH in phase two of operations.
Where there is the will, there are ways. The personnel exist in Barbados, or are a short flight away.
you believe i hear today on brass tacks that right now, de hospital ain’t got enough beds…
and dem using also the gurneys from de ambulances
so when you call an ambulance…dey got delay, men got to go and look for a gurney to come for you wid. you ever hear so much shite?
Scientist we heard that news report and the subsequent denial by the QEH. We also heard Minister Eswick’s statement which conflicted with that of the hospital when he confirmed that the QEH has some problems which he needs to fix. He has summons a meeting for next week we believe.
Of relevance to this topic is his statement that the government will be revamping polyclinics in the East, Central and North and ambulances will be available from those locations.
Looks like the QEH wants to operate business as usual but the minister is having none of it.
In the Presidential debate in the USA, Senator Obama has been accused of spouting about change, but with out giving specifics of this change. So it is with the recently elected DLP and the Minister of Health. Now he has the POWA POWA, he knows not what to do.
It is of great significance that the DLP presented very little about health in either its manifesto or in its throne speech. The only sensible statements attributed to the Minister in today’s newspapers were clearly stolen from this thread on BU, and even so, the Minister has not done a good job of copying.
We read in today’s Advocate that “Estwick also identified a need for more private practitioners to become integrated into the public distribution and delivery of services to our population.” This idea was presented in GP’s suggestions earlier in this trread.
The minister is alleged to have said that he “plans to decentralise polyclinic and ambulance facilities (and that this) would be linked with similar plans for the drug service”.
How can you further decentralize polyclinic facilities? GP pointed out that the existing polyclinic services should be upgraded to become mini A& E departments to decentralize a lot of the primary care that has been traditionally offered at the hospital before the polyclinics came in to vogue in the early 80’s.
GP also pointed out that the ambulance should be decentralized by being associated with a polyclinic for a particular zone in the country, and that there be “local ambulances” which operate within the zone, and “roving ambulances” which would for the most part ply between polyclinic and the QEH. Though this may seem to be an expensive suggestion now, it seems like an ideal goal to work toward gradually, for the future.
It does not take a rocket scientist to figure that the best place to dispense the drugs prescribed to folk living within a particular zone (as suggested by GP) that is provided by the public purse should be the zonal polyclinic. Why is the Minister making a simple issue so very complex? Health care for any zone should be dispensed and managed and accounted for by a medical officer of the Ministry of Health or/and his assigns; whether it is supervising the doctors and nurses and pharmacists at the polyclinic or the delivery of ambulance services.
The minister is alleged to have rambled on thus “They are intimately linked together as to how we deliver convenient access to prescriptions and other materials and supplies. If, for example, this (Maurice Byer) polyclinic has to deal with certain elements of St. Lucy, and St. Andrew and St. James and so on you would appreciate that there are times when you have prescriptions to be filled. If, for example, it is not filled here directly and you live in St. Lucy you may have some problems (or if) you live in St. Andrew and so on. So we have to look at an integrated process of determining where best to place that facility to make sure that it is integrated with the Drug Service s developmental plans as well as further developmental plans for the health service, Estwick stated.
Does he not know that prescriptions are filled at the pharmacies in the polyclinics. All that is needed is to improve the services at the pharmacies in the polyclinics so that the patients are served efficiently on site and so that Government is not wrangling every now and then with the Private Sector Pharmacists for failure to reimburse them on time. In fact money might be saved by eliminating the Private Sector Pharmacists from the dispensing of drugs for patients in the Public Sector.
We can appreciate the need to review the activities of the Barbados Drug Service in the attempt to improve its service to the public, but cannot understand how problems with the drug service should relate to .adequate distribution of public pharmacy services. I do not believe that between 1980 and now 2008 (28 years) that the BDS has a problem with the adequate distribution of public pharmacy services.
It is, however, obvious that the major problem that the Ministry of Health faces in its attempt to offer the enormous service that it does to the public sector is indeed the factor of increased prescriptions and inadequate money. It is an unavoidable feature of having a National Health Service as we do. It is the same feature that has crippled the British National Health Service.
It might have been avoided if the BLP had listened in 1985 when advised that our NHS should be offered first to the elderly and the children, in order to estimate its cost. They did not listen to wisdom then, so any Government that followed must deal with the high costs of drugs in the service. In addition we have to deal with the cost of the phlethora of drugs that have come on the market since then.
The two paragraphs below defy comprehension and logic. Can I assume that the Minister was misquoted?
“If you go to a doctor and you get a prescription sometimes you are forced, unless it is a drug that is on the special benefits service, to pay for it. You dont have for example the opportunity available to a patient to get a similar drug from a (public) facility where they dont have to pay for it. If you go to a private doctor in Speightstown, where is the public facility, he queried.
So you are locked off automatically into a private facility where the drug itself would have additional costs attached to it. So part of the re-evaluation of the drug service s capability and the restructuring of the drug service is to look at how best we can reorganise and redistribute the public pharmacies and public access so as to give Barbadians an option to more effectively utilise public pharmacy services and so on. Once we can look at that we can deal a lot with the costs, he explained. ”
When the NHS started in BIM. One had a choice. You could go to your GP and pay him a fee, and then pay for your blood tests, XRays or drugs. If you choose to go to a public clinic there was no cost to the patient at the point of delivery for any of the above services. Later drugs for special illnesses were added which were free at all pharmacies.
So what is the Minister saying?. Absolutely nothing!
The rule is If you go to a private doctor in Speightstown, you pay for your drugs unless it is special benefit. Where does a public facility come in there?
If you go to a doctor as a public patient and you get a prescription you pay for it unless it is a drug that is on the special benefits service, because that’s the rule. The facility to get a similar drug from a (public) facility where the patient does not have to pay for it does not come into the equation, because the rule was always if you go to a private doctor you go and pay your private pharmacists.
The fact that a private patient is “locked off automatically into a private facility where the drug itself would have additional costs attached to it” is part of the choice that he makes when he goes to a private doctor. This has been so for 28 years!
How can the drug service “better reorganize and redistribute the public pharmacies and public access so as to give Barbadians an option to more effectively utilize public pharmacy services and so on”. That sounds like garbled goobledegook to me. It has been working well for 28 years. Perfect it if you can?
Does the minister mean that he will set up more public pharmacies? Wont this affect the cost to the nation by requiring more personnel, more pharmacies? And if this is done how will this affect increased prescribing, and the increased need of the doctors to use the newer drugs coming on to the market? How can the Drug Service determine how drugs should be prescribed and which drugs should be prescribed?
It is one thing to clamor for change and POWA. It is another thing to be capable of doing the job when you get the change and the POWA.
One woke up to read an article in today”s Nation entitled Minister: New polyclinic coming
In this article we read “Government is considering building another polyclinic and decentralising the Emergency Ambulance Service.
Minister of Health Dr David Estwick made these disclosures Monday after touring the Maurice Byer Polyclinic in Station Hill, St Peter.
He told the media that an assessment had to be done first to determine the best location for the polyclinic and his ministry would be guided by the “demographics” given the continuing growth in the population.
“As a result of that, it may force the ministry to look very closely at the redevelopment of an additional polyclinic structure to deal with that reverse migration pattern that is occurring. You know the majority of persons are now building houses in St Lucy and St James, and St Philip and so on,” he said.
Estwick added: “Where we place that new facility will also be linked to what happens with the re-organisation of the Drug Service because they are intimately linked together as to how we deliver convenience, access to prescriptions and other materials and supplies.
“If, for example, this polyclinic has to deal with certain elements of St Andrew and St Lucy, St James and so on, you would appreciate that there are times when you have prescriptions to be filled . . . We have to look at an integrated process [to] determining where best to place that facility to make sure that it’s integrated with the Drug Service developmental plans as well as further developmental plans for the health service.”
==============================
What on earth is the minister saying here? No new polyclinic is needed for St Andrew. Instead the roads in St Andrew ought to be fixed so that St Andrew people can get to Warrens- which is our best sited polyclinic.
No clinic has to be built for St Lucy. That is why we have Maurice Byer Polyclinic. The St James folk can ideally be served by Black Rock Polyclinic, Maurice Byer Polyclinic & Warrens Polyclinic.
What does he mean by “”If, for example, this polyclinic has to deal with certain elements of St Andrew and St Lucy, St James and so on, you would appreciate that there are times when you have prescriptions to be filled . . .
Does he not know that prescriptions are filled at the pharmacies in the polyclinics. All that is needed is to improve the services at the pharmacies in the polyclinics so that the patients are served efficiently on site and so that Government is not wrangling every now and then with the Public Sector Pharmacists for failure to reimburse them on time.
“The minister further noted that while there were plans to extend hours at more polyclinics, this would be directly linked to the decentralisation of the Ambulance Service. “
The minister ought to understand that there must be a decentralisation of the Ambulance Service in general. Decentralisation of the Ambulance Service ought not to be linked to extended hours at a polyclinic. Ambulances simply cannot be expected to leave only from Bridgetown to reach the periphery of the country, at any time of the day in a modern Barbados. The purpose of the ambulance service is to relay real emergencies from home to an emergency treatment center or to the QEH. The purpose for extending hours at polyclinics is to take the load of the QEH. It ought to be clear to the minister that these two purposes are not the same.
“One of the solutions that the Ambulance Service personnel have looked at is that the majority of calls they get would come from a particular area over a particular period of time so if you’re going to upgrade, for example, Six Roads Polyclinic, it would make sense to upgrade that and create a capability for an ambulance service to be placed there.
Six Roads Polyclinic needs to be upgraded to contain an accident and emergency center and the section of the ambulance service designated for that zone be placed there. All the other polyclinics must also be similarly upgraded accompanied by a section of the ambulance service designated for their respective zones.
“And when you upgrade it would have secondary care capability so it would take pressure off of Accident & Emergency the same time and at the same time allow for the ambulance service to get to the critical care points within that critical hour in medicine. ”
Mr Minister all that has been said much more elegantly on this thread before!
“So we’re, in addition to Sir Winston Scott, looking at a facility in the east of the country and north of the country.”
If you want to take pressure of the QEH A&E, , Maurice Byer, Black Rock and Warrens Polyclinics must be opened 24/7. These clinics serve the northern parishes and much of St Michael. Sir Winston Scott polyclinic must also be opened as it has the propensity to serve persons who will reach it by highways 6 & 7 and the rest of St Michael.
The East is currently being served by Oistins and Six Roads. The new clinic must be on Highway 4 as pointed out already on this thread. Did we not read on this thread two weeks ago that they ought to be another polyclinic at Salters for part of the east and that there must be decentralising of the Emergency Ambulance Service?
This is what is meant by square pegs in round holes.
Now that the DLP is in power will we see a release of the St. Joseph Report soon? The fact that the report was held over Senator Taitt’s head for many moons makes it mandatory for the PM to put up,
QEH stretchers needed – Union
Published on: 2/29/08 in the NATION.
THE NATIONAL UNION OF PUBLIC WORKERS (NUPW) has a solution for one of the problems at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital: buy more stretchers.
The union said the problem of the unavailability of them was because the stretchers allotted to ambulances were being held back within the Accident & Emergency (A&E) Department.
“The problem currently being experienced occurs when patients who are brought to the A&E Department remain lying on the stretchers of the ambulances until they are attended to, or until repeated calls from the ambulance office for the release of the stretchers are heeded.
“This untenable situation has led to the ambulances not being available since they do not share stretchers. The NUPW therefore proposes a solution to this ongoing saga; that the chief executive officer of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital should acquire stretchers for the A&E Department.”
In addition, the release stated that, out of the hospital’s fleet of seven ambulances, only five were in working order.
However, officials at the hospital reiterated that no ambulances were being delayed because of the shortage of stretchers in the A&E.
Bed shortage
“In exceptional circumstances, there may be a surge in the number of patients coming into the A&E, combined with bed shortages, which may result in some delay. This has happened in the past,” the statement said.
It added that the hospital’s management was acquiring a few back-up trolleys to cater to such surges.
In addition, Ward B-7, a 24-bed ward, was being refurbished and this would be completed in a few weeks so more beds would become available.
“Unfortunately, many wards need refurbishing and a temporary bed number reduction is the price to pay for this essential upgrade.
“With regard to ambulance numbers, the fleet of relatively new ambulances has been prone to persistent malfunction. This can result in reductions in the operating fleet from time to time,” the statement read, adding that one ambulance had been in an accident and was likely to be written off.
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@ David
Clearly in the two previous “visits” on this topic, much sound advice was given.
It is quite amusing that since 2008, we have imported a “highly qualified” moron from overseas, who does not have a clue about what is going on.
Since then too, I had the joy of being treated in such a polyclinic in St Lucia, where I not only saw a doctor, but had x-rays done. Maybe those folk read BU, and took heed!
We need to stop parsing every issue through a partisan political lense. It has become so tiring and challenges the boast we are a highly literate people.
On 22 March 2015 at 14:38, Barbados Underground wrote:
>
All the money wasted by the BLP over the years, and now its time for the DLP to do the same, Head Stones named after dead people ,,,,,
Many other countries did the same with oil , all the funds went to the pockets of crooks and not to the people , some cant buy shit paper
Minister John Boyce must frontally address the consequences of an under funded Health care system. We have been hearing a lot of talk about user fees but what about the design of the system this submission addresses? User fees i.e. raising fees always is proposed to be the solution. To be honest BU wants to see more emphasis on preventative strategies. Why are senior citizens being left at the QEH? Why are the fast food restaurants allowed to sell without accountability to what is displayed on menus? We spend spend on health but eat eat junk coupled with a lazy lifestyle.
trying to legislate people bad habits are not going to prevent or discourage people from indulging in bad habits that wreck havoc on their physical life,tobacco is a good example where taxing has failed to prevent people from indulging in that habit even though all statistics and even proof of death has been shown to be the inevitable outcome,
what govt needs to do is to educate and promote lifestyle and programs that is necessary for the well being of its citizens ,encourage agriculture along with business to participate in programs geared to providing foods that are nutritional in value,
the alternative of taxing people would not work although the govt might collect meaningful revenue in the long run it would become like a revolving door whereby the govt continues to send that money back into health and the people continue with the bad habits
If one look across the landscape of international countries govt have given up on taxing people to promote healthy lifestyle but are diligently promoting and endorsing business that have used organic methods as a way forward for promoting healthy lifestyles as a long term solutions.
Govt need to follow similar directives by giving incentives to business that are in the process of starting business promoting healthier lifestyles
what is of most importance are not band aids or quick fixes but long term viable solutions
Tony Hall February 16, 2008 at 10:37 PM #
……………………………………………………………………..
And you are talking about another 25 years. $100 Million . Arrange transport pickups. The Government is not able,at present, to provide adequate transport to the public, via its Transport Board, and can hardly keep its hand full of ambulances on the road.
And for the record there is a Polyclinic at Tamarind Hall in St Joseph, and one at Glebe Land in St George.
What we may need when this Government and its cronies are through, are Poor Houses.
@ ac March 22, 2015 at 12:29 PM
” trying to legislate people bad habits are not going to prevent or discourage people from indulging in bad habits that wreck havoc on their physical life,tobacco is a good example where taxing has failed to prevent people from indulging in that habit even though all statistics and even proof of death has been shown to be the inevitable outcome..”
Ac, since you are close to the hands that hold the legislative pen and the enforcement of regulations could you please tell us if it allowed without punitive sanctions whether by moral disapproval or financial penalties to publicly advertise the smoking of cigarettes.
Why is it OK to advertise cigarettes and smoking on billboards and posters by those Chinese sounding cigarette manufacturers/distributors?
Yet we have the Minister of Health, both current and former, supporting a ban of smoking in public places and promoting the need to adopt healthy lifestyles including the stopping of cigarette.
Isn’t that the apex of hypocrisy of the highest sanctimonious order?
But what the heck! Next we will have David Seale the owner a large distillery telling Bajans and his overseas customers to stop the consumption of rum because it is bad for you and will kill you.
“Go to the ant thou sluggard, consider her ways and be wise”
Have you even noted how a church revival tent will appear for 4 weekends in the very heart of a community, rape the people of their tithes, and disappear overnight leaving a flattened spot for the Wild Tamarind to burst through and cover in a few months??
As charlatan a these “soul miners” are one thing that you must grudgingly admit to is that they position their “begging booth” critically along bus routes and main trafficked sites where their unsuspecting victims can be robbed “under the guise of things Ecclesiastical
The matrix of the envisioned services should present a cumulative offering that integrates (a) catchment area served (ii) future needs (iii) buses/public access to the venue etc etc.
Unfortunately, this type of enterprise planning DOES NOT RESIDE IN THE BVKHUNTS that preside over this system and John Boyce, Jerome Walcott or the other fellows just ent got the brain matter to contemplate this type of national vision.
miller firstly i am as far away to any one hands except the two that god gave me, however to your query ,i am absolutely against promoting unhealthy lifestyles or features by way of advertising that would impact on people health, however in a democracy under where there is capitalist systems that dictates freedom i would not stand in the way of business opting by chooses to feature any viable and fair options available to promote their business,
the govt option then is to educate their citizens about the harmful or beneficial effects
@ ac March 22, 2015 at 2:02 PM
“…however in a democracy under where there is capitalist systems that dictates freedom i would not stand in the way of business opting by chooses to feature any viable and fair options available to promote their busines,
the govt option then is to educate their citizens about the harmful or beneficial effects..”
That is pure hypocritical shite you just wrote there, MOF aka ac.
If you really believe in the sanctimonious crap you just wrote let us see you pen a missive on BU to the Honourable F S Stuart requesting him to forget about Caricom Committee and the long-ass shite talk and do like what some American States have done.
Why not decriminalize the growing, processing, distribution and consumption of marijuana; a natural commodity Mother Nature has provided for mankind to do either good or evil with?
Why must Barbados be left behind or are you waiting for it legalization in other jurisdictions so that the finished products can be imported by the army of parasites called merchants and entrepreneurs aka itinerant sales men and women?
O.k . miller so ac recognize your ambitious drive with a motive of intent to advocate the decriminalization of MARIJUANA ( WEED) but why the haste, do you belive that if marijuana is legalize in this hemisphere that small nations would benefit , well bro think and come again, the bigger countries already have harvested marijuana plants and anxiously waiting time to implore at such a massive undertaking that it would trigger a shut down on the high expectations these small countries are looking forward to….. enough so that these small nations would have more marijuana than buyers,
No miller look at sugar cane and the effects now felt by small nations who were once the producers and suppliers the same fall out eventually for marijuana j
in the long run millions of dollars spent and big business taking control. not a ghost of a chance for small nation survival and govts running for cover looking to finds ways to shore up another dying industry at tax payers expense,
the world is now technologically driven and govts worldwide knows how to develop and produce efficiently all kinds of goods which are profitable and which can be sold on the world market