Elective surgeries suspended at QEH

The island’s lone general hospital has suspended all elective surgeries for the time being.

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) informed the various heads of departments and other senior staff of the decision on Tuesday.

Director of Medical Services Anthony Harris conveyed the news to all surgical consultants and medical staff, including Chief Executive Officer Neil Clark, Director of Nursing Services Henderson Pinder and Theatre Manager Cherry Denny.

He informed them that only those operations considered emergencies or urgencies would be done.

Without giving reasons for the decision, the director said his office would provide updates as they became available.

The Department of Surgery provides surgical services to the entire population of Barbados for secondary and tertiary care in elective and emergency cases. It also provides services for patients referred from other Caribbean Islands for elective and emergency surgery.

The department is also called upon to provide surgical services, particularly in emergency situations involving visitors to Barbados and persons who have become ill or sustained injury on ships in the waters off Barbados. Services offered include general surgery, hepato-biliary surgery, vascular surgery, transplant surgery (kidney), and plastic surgery. Other surgical procedures are urology, dental and neurosurgery.

(EJ)