Senator says construction of the new A&E has not changed wait times

Independent Senator Christopher Maynard is worried that the newly renovated Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department has not addressed the long wait times at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).

He voiced his concern during debate on the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Amendment Bill, 2022, in the Upper House this afternoon.

Back in 2020, Government spent $13.5 million on the QEH’s Accident and Emergency Department Renovation and Expansion project which was completed in three phases and included the construction of a new 9000 square foot single-storey reinforced concrete building.

The new building was designed to feature a three-vehicle ambulance bay on the building’s eastern side; and to facilitate future development of the space, provision will be made to extend upward to another three storeys.

The final phase of the project entailed the reconfiguration and renovation of the A&E to better align with the current and projected needs of the department.

After delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic the project was eventually completed last year.

However, Senator Maynard said patients were still waiting long periods to be seen in the A&E.

“The Government has spent large sums of money on the partial rebuilding and the expansion of the A&E Department and regrettably I stood in this Chamber and I said if it was not done in a particular way we would create a very nice place to wait and unfortunately that is happening.

“We have not solved the problems of flow in the institution and some are old and some are new. I heard this morning that there are outbreaks of COVID in the hospital and whenever that happens it means those beds are out of service and people have to wait longer,” Maynard said.

He also expressed concern about the A&E’s ability to withstand the forces of a serious hurricane or storm surge.

Maynard said flooding was always a major issue at the old A&E Department.

“…I worry about our A&E Department that we’ve spent so much money on and I worry really that if there is storm surge will it be safe. I hope that it will not be a problem and I hope that when this hurricane season starts and if unfortunately we expect bad weather we will not have to evacuate it as we have always done because of the risk of storm surge,” Maynard said.
randybennett@barbadostoday.bb