QEH clearing backlog of patients in Accident & Emergency Department

By Sheria Brathwaite

The number of patients backed up in the Accident and Emergency Department (AED) of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) on Tuesday is now significantly reduced, but Barbadians are still being urged not to go there unless their conditions are life-threatening.

Communications specialist Shane Sealy said on Wednesday that medical personnel had been able to reduce the number of people waiting for treatment by more than half.

However he said, people with minor issues should continue to seek care at polyclinics and private health care providers, as advised on Tuesday.

“I can tell you that today, the situation has significantly improved. Yesterday, we were still waiting to see about 50 patients. I can tell you that number has been cut in half. So from 50 it’s gone to around 22. So we have made significant strides but we want to continue to appeal to the public if your situation is not an emergency, if it’s not life-threatening, you can seek alternate medical accommodation or treatment,” Sealy said.

“We’ve been seeing a number of patients coming there with elevated blood pressure levels, elevated sugar levels as well. And I just want to say that you can go to your medical doctor to have your situation assessed before deciding to come to the emergency department because in those cases, you will have to wait a bit longer to be assessed.

“We have been able to cut down the waiting times as well. But again, we don’t want to be inundated like what we saw yesterday and over the past 48 to 72 hours. But we have been able to address that significantly.”

Sealy added that the wait was long since priority was given to people in critical condition.

“Through the triage system, there is a priority list. Categories one and two are those gunshot victims, those people with heart attacks and resuscitation; they will be seen immediately. So then in those cases, it would push back those other patients who would have to wait a bit longer for care,” he said.
sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb