Long wait for surgery at QEH must end – Minister Bostic

By Anesta Henry

The days of patients having to endure lengthy waits for surgery at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) will soon be over, Minister of Health and Wellness Lieutenant Jeffrey Bostic has declared.

Bostic has ordered the QEH board to urgently rectify the issue, which he said was concerning because taxpayers have a legitimate expectation to be provided with high quality health care.

“I for one don’t like the notion ‘oh, it was like that for years’. So collectively we are going to try to bring those numbers down and to get things going in a way that would redound to the benefit of our children, grandchildren, nephews, nieces and friends,” he said.

Minister Bostic addressed the issue at the QEH’s 2019 RESPECT Awards at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre last night.

He also took the opportunity to appeal to the hospital’s staff to play a role in helping the nurses coming from the Republic of Ghana integrate into society and enjoy their working experience in Barbados.

Bostic said the Ghanaian nurses are expected to start work at the QEH between mid-January and February 2020, noting that their experience will be dependent on the treatment they receive,

He lamented that regrettably, Barbados tends to be a xenophobic society at times, though countrymen have left the island’s shores and travelled the world to work in various professions.

“And the good book tells you that you should do unto others as you would have others do unto you. How you make those nurses feel in terms of integrating into this society and this culture is going to be fundamental to the level of service that they provide to our countrymen and women,” he said.

The Minister of Health said based on reports he received, the nurses coming were highly qualified, articulate, and had much to offer not only the public but also the staff at the QEH.

“I would like for you to embrace them and make them feel welcomed. There are things that you can learn from them and undoubtedly there are things that they can learn from you and it will redound to the benefit of this country. So let us do what we can to make sure that the experience that they have while working in Barbados is a positive one,” he said. ( anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb)