Spike in violence overwhelms QEH emergency care

Asharp increase in gunshot and stabbing victims is overwhelming the Accident and Emergency (A&E) department at Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), forcing doctors to shelve other serious patients to deal with lifethreatening injuries, hospital officials said on Monday.

The surge in violent crime is stretching resources thin and disrupting critical care, they said.

In the past few days, a shooting incident which claimed the life of 43-yearold Rommel Cadell left two other men injured while a separate stabbing at a school wounded one person, all requiring emergency care.

Hospital officials confirmed that another shooting incident took place on Sunday.

Speaking on the QEH’s Pulse Radio Show, the head of the A&E Department, Dr Anne-Marie Cruickshank, revealed that such trauma cases are stretching resources thin, forcing doctors to put other serious cases on hold to deal with life-threatening injuries.

“We had gunshot victims and stab victims over the weekend,” she said.

“This puts a strain on our resources because we have other serious patients who need help.”

The constant flow of violence into the A&E, she noted, is affecting not just medical staff but also patients waiting for urgent care “Doctors now have to run to the resuscitation room to deal with these immediate needs. This really affects the staff and the patients themselves,” Dr Cruickshank said.

With tensions running high in the hospital, officials were forced to place the A&E on lockdown for several hours as a precaution.

QEH spokesman Shane Sealy confirmed on the radio programme that police and hospital security collaborated to maintain order.

“As a standard operating procedure with some of these situations, A&E was on lockdown for a few hours on Sunday,” Sealy said.

He praised the partnership between law enforcement and the hospital, noting that police presence has been crucial in ensuring the safety of doctors, nurses, patients and visitors.

“The police presence is always very good, making everyone at the hospital feel safe,” he added.

Beyond security, measures were also in place to respond to the emotional toll of repeated exposure to violent trauma, Sealy said.

Outlining the hospital’s debriefing process, Dr Cruickshank noted that it includes online support sessions due to the size of the A&E team—at least 150 people across different shifts.

“When we have a traumatic event in the A&E, we immediately do a debriefing session. Counsellors from network services assist with debriefing and provide further support,” she said, noting that one-toone counselling is available through the hospital’s human resources department for staff struggling with lingering trauma.

Spiritual support was also provided by the hospital chaplain the Reverend Canon Noel Burke for staff coping with emotionally taxing cases.

“Canon Burke is always willing to come and speak to the staff after an event,” Dr Cruickshank said, adding that support services extend beyond violent cases to include distressing incidents like child deaths and severe motor vehicle accidents.

shannamoore@barbadostoday.bb