Not enough money to build a new hospital

by Randy Bennett

While it would be ideal, there simply is not enough money available to build a new hospital.

That means that the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) will have to do for now.

The position was made clear by the hospital’s Executive Chairman Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland and its Director of Medical Services Dr Clyde Cave Thursday  evening, during the QEH’s 6th Annual Public Accountability meeting.

In his recent Economic Letter for the month of November, former Governor of the Central Bank Dr Delisle Worrell suggested that the QEH lacked the electronic infrastructure required by a modern hospital and called for it to be replaced.

But in response to a question regarding the need for another hospital on the island, Dr Cave said in a “perfect world” the construction of another health care facility to ease the QEH’s burden would be ideal.

However, he said, it was just not practical at this time.

“If we are dreaming in a world where money does not matter, space does not matter, relocation of traffic patterns and demand doesn’t matter, then sure, we can have a new hospital. It’s a difficult balance. This is what we have and we have to optimise it,” he said.

“When bigger funds become available, yes, but for the time being, this is where we live, this is what we have and this is what we must make the best of.”

Dr Cave said it was important for the QEH to be continually upgraded and maintained.

He explained that a new hospital would take some time to build and patients would still have to rely on the QEH during that period.

“The reality is that if we were to start now and funds were not a limited factor, it would still take a while to design and build and operationalise, and we can’t give up on the hospital in the meantime.

“So, regardless of that wonderful dream, we still have to work with what we have, as best as we can,” he maintained.

Bynoe-Sutherland estimated that the cost of building a new hospital would be in the range of close to $1 billion.

“I think a new hospital is something like $600 million, nearly $1 billion, so we recognise that we would have to have a significant investor coming to the table with that type of engagement. It’s not beyond us…but right now I am with Dr Cave, and I think more as a Board we are looking to optimise the facility that we have. That’s why we are investing so heavily in the plant and equipment and repairs and making sure that the staff who are working here get the kind of conditions of work and the patients have the experience they need,” the executive chairman said.

Bynoe-Sutherland pointed to several achievements by the hospital’s board since 2018.

She identified the strengthening of the hospital’s nursing capacity through the hiring of nurses from the Philippines, Nigeria, Ghana and the wider Caribbean region, as well as additional staff; improvements in the hospital’s financial management; the soon to be completed expansion of the Accident and Emergency Department; and advancements to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operations at the QEH.

(randybennett@barbadostoday.bb)