QEH’s COVID-19 test

The top management of this country’s main general hospital has described the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic here as one in which the medical institution experienced its greatest test ever.

On the first anniversary of the announcement of Barbados’ first COVID-19 cases, Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland, the Executive Chairman of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) said, it has been a remarkable year.

“The QEH Board, management and staff have faced its greatest test. We moved from running a few beds at Enmore Isolation Centre, to setting up and running Blackman and Gollop Isolation Centre, then Harrisons Point Isolation Facility, then with this second wave we were running Blackman and Gollop again plus Savannah Hotel Isolation Centre, then Sun Bay Hotel Isolation Centre then Barbados Beach Club Isolation Centre, the Prison Clinic … and Nursing Home,” Bynoe-Sutherland told Barbados TODAY.

She said that in each case the QEH had to stretch its staff, equipment, materials and supplies to meet the needs of the pandemic and still continue services at the Martindale’s Road institution.

“I have seen a level of resilience that makes me proud. We did not complain as an institution or as a board…We recognized that big asks were made of the QEH because we were capable. We had the expertise like Dr Corey Forde, Dr Clyde Cave and others. Most importantly, we had the heart and the courage to pull Barbados through,” the hospital chief stated.

“Because what we were doing was without precedent… all of Barbados walked this journey with us. Many Barbadians accepted restrictions on visiting without complaints, although very hard for patients and families. Our patients had to confront COVID testing when presenting at the A&ED when planning for surgeries or going for procedures and when community spread reached our doorstep, we lost a precious one. We grieved and at the same time give thanks as so many hospitals and healthcare workers have been ravaged,” Bynoe-Sutherland declared.

She noted that during the past year, Barbados had been globally recognized for the strength of its national response to COVID.

“Nothing is possible without a team and I extend thanks to the board, management and frontline heroes and the media for carrying our messages and holding us accountable,” the executive chair stated.

Bynoe-Sutherland told Barbados TODAY she recalled March 17th like it was yesterday when the QEH was standing up and standing down its Enmore Isolation Facility as planning had been going on for about six to eight weeks for the arrival of the first COVID case as it was “blowing up” globally.

“It has been the honour of my life to quietly and confidently stand, mostly behind the scenes, and plan, mobilize the resources and ensure that our healthcare heroes in all of the isolation centres and at Queen Elizabeth Hospital had the resources that they needed,” she said.

During the year, the hospital’s board was also forced to close its central kitchen facility after 12 of its 62 staff members tested positive for the virus.

The remaining 50 were subsequently placed in quarantine and the positive cases moved to the Harrisons Point Isolation Facility. They have since been released and are back on the job as the kitchen returns to full service.

“Our head chef and kitchen staff came out of quarantine last Wednesday. The kitchen was handed back over to us by Goddards on Monday 15. All staff are back at work,” she announced.

“Goddards’  service to our hospital was very well received by staff and patients.  It was an extremely well-organized outfit with 100 per cent on-time delivery of tasty food from QEH’s new menus. In my rounds patients did enjoy,” she pointed out.

“We look forward to our team getting back into the swing of things. Our kitchen staff is a very dedicated group.  Before they returned last week, Ms Louise Bobb [Chief Operations Officer] arranged some training and re-sensitization on COVID protocols not just in the kitchen, but in the community and social spaces.

Ms Bobb said the kitchen employees underwent refresher training with personnel from the hospital’s Infection Prevention and Control Department led by hospital Infection Control Officer Yvonne Martindale.

She said it covered such areas as protocols for reporting suspected illness and how to minimize the risk of COVID-19 infection at work and in the community. (emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb)