QEH: Surge in patients at A&E Department continues into 3rd consecutive day

The surge in patients presenting to the Accident and Emergency Department for treatment continues into a third consecutive day, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital said Saturday.

At 5 p.m., approximately 40 patients were waiting to be seen by doctors and nurses.

The department remains very busy and medical teams are reporting an increase in the number of patients presenting with respiratory illnesses.

In light of this, the QEH strongly encourages people who find themselves in crowded areas or events to wear a mask, especially over this long weekend.

The Emergency Ambulance Service has also been very busy with increasing calls and responses, bringing several patients to AED for emergency 2 care. This heightened activity has extended wait times in the department especially for non-critical patients.

Management at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital is again appealing to the public if you are unsure about your medical complaint to determine if you need to present to the Accident and Emergency Department, please call the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS/Help Desk) at 536-4800 using regular or whatsapp calls from 9 a.ma to 12 midnight during this surge.

You also have the option of visiting the 24-hour Winston Scott Polyclinic at Jemmotts Lane, St Michael for treatment or your private General Practitioner.

If you present to the AED at this time with medical conditions which are not deemed life-threatening or an emergency, you may experience a longer than desired wait for treatment. However, life-threatening conditions, under AED’s Triage System will continue to be seen and treated immediately. These include patients who for example, have life, limb or sight threatening complaints, gunshot wounds, heart attacks, active seizure activity or a patient who needs resuscitation.

The QEH wishes to apologise for the inconvenience, and we will continue to provide updates on the situation.

(PR)