After what could only be described as a bumpy July 1 start following several delays, Barbadians are responding well to the new 24-hour polyclinic service, according to Minister of Health and Wellness, Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic.
He told reporters this afternoon that the pilot for the round-the-clock services, the Winston Scott Polyclinic, at Ladymeade Gardens, Jemmotts Lane, was already relieving some of the burden from the Accident and Emergency Department at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).
“The clinic so far has been very well received by patients and fully supported by doctors, nurses and staff. I am happy to report that so far things are going quite well.
“A number of patients have been visiting the polyclinic and for the first three days we would have averaged about 95 patients per day and during the graveyard shift, about ten persons per day would have visited the polyclinic,” Bostic told a news conference at Parliament.
The Health Minister said he was confident that the numbers will increase as persons become more familiar with the new services. He told reporters that even though it was early days for the project, he was already seeing a reduction in the congestion at the hospital’s A&E.
He said: “There has been a decrease at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s Accident and Emergency; it is not as obvious at this point in time as we would like because it is only just started and we also have a situation where the hospital is full and even with the Winston Scott Polyclinic, you still have a large number of persons waiting on the inside to be seen.
“Those persons that we are seeing at the Winston Scott Polyclinic are persons that are expected to be discharged, the flow has started, and we expect it to continue. So I would certainly be able to say something more definitively at the end of the first month.”
Earlier, the Minister had revealed that based on the success of the urgent care programme at the Winston Scott Polyclinic, Government would have a better gauge of how and when it would roll out the second phase of the service at the David Thompson Health and Wellness Complex in St John.
Bostic was not able to provide reporters with any further information on how close Government is to starting phase two, but he noted that the initial rollout was unearthing areas that needed to be ironed out. He pointed out that all was not smooth sailing as there were some transport issues to be worked out in order to transfer patients from the QEH to the urgent care service at the polyclinic late at night.
Lt. Col. Bostic said: “We have a transportation issue between the QEH and the polyclinic. Once that has been rectified, and I am told that this should be sorted out shortly, then the QEH would be able to send persons from Accident and Emergency to Winston Scott, especially in the very late hours.”
Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic this is for you.
(1) Has the general public been informed as to what cases will be accepted at these facilities, hence the limitations of these facilities?
(2) Does these facilities house the necessary equipment, CAT scans, X-ray machines ………. Should an emergency arise?
(3) Will these Polyclinics be used as facilities for transporting patients directly to the QEH hospital?
(4) Will there be AMBULANCES stationed at these 24 hour Policlinics.
(5) Who will be held responsible for any patient who goes to these facilities and dies because of time wasted in going there rather than directly to the QEH?
(6) Is Caswell Franklyn correct in questioning the level of thought put into the opening of these facilities?
I am at a loss, how even with an acknowledged shortage of nurses, something could be operating efficiently. That deserves a tick Mr.Minister.
DEAR MINISTER BOSTIC, you need to stop tryi ng to force or push the issue, what you should also be looking at is to get those places up graded, yes i know it should have been done maybe in the last 10 years,
While you are at it, you can ask RIHANNA for a few millions, i mean beg,, so you can get some much need supplies for the QEH so the staff can do they work, nurses on the wards and even in your operating theatre, oh by the way did you get the leak in the theatre stop as yet, i heard every time the rin falls it leaks, and you even put pans in the roof to catch water so you could have past accreditation, what a shame, why not just plaster the roof with some HYDRAULIC CEMENT that would stop the leak, ppl here in the USA use it for the same propose,
OH BY THE WAY RIHANNA IS HERE ON THE ISLAND, SHE CAME TO SEE HER BEST FRIEND GIVE BIRTH TO A NEW BORN, SO YOU WONT HAVE FAR TO GO TO MAKE CONTACT, GET HER BEFORE SHE LEAVE, i live here in miami and i seem to know more of what is going on back home then you guys,
Yes guys RIHANNA is in barbados, sorry i wasnt there to see her,,