Region 3 RHO debunks Stabroek News article on West Demerara Hospital

Georgetown, GINA, July 20, 2012 -- Source - GINA

Regional Health Officer (RHO) of Region Three, Ravindranauth Persaud has debunked a recent Stabroek News’ article that claims nothing is being done to correct conditions of ‘dangers’ at the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH).

The Government Information Agency (GINA) and the National Communications Network (NCN) were on site at the hospital earlier this week and were told by the RHO that steps have already been taken to correct several of the conditions highlighted in the article even as more systems are  being put in place following the passage of the 2012 national budget.

Regional Health Officer (RHO) Ravindranauth Persaud speaking with the media on site at the hospital

The Stabroek News highlighted complaints of concerns about the dangers posed to patients by physical infrastructure at some points of the hospital, including the Emergency Room.

“Because of the increase of the patients that we are having at this hospital, there was need to expand on the services and some areas,” the RHO related.

He added that when the newspaper visited the hospital in June, in the buildings currently under rehabilitation, including the Emergency Room and the old Dispensary, “there were some electrical works and there were some fans and air-conditioners that had to be placed in the buildings.”

The RHO said that that situation has since changed and, “even though there might be tiling work, or there might be electrical work to be done, we have ensured that measures are put in place for the safety of the staff and the safety of the patients.”

The room that is currently being used to carry out the functions of the record department

At present the RHO confirmed that there are no hanging wires in the newly rehabilitated areas.  He claimed that the report of such in the recent SN article with accompanying picture is over a month old.

And to the article’s claim that a malfunctioning air-conditioning unit is currently servicing the X-Ray department, the RHO said, “we would have had one complaint about a few months ago about one of the air-conditioners ceasing to function.”

He confirmed that the air conditioning unit was replaced immediately and the X-Ray Department was functional the next day and no services were interrupted.

With regards to the conditions of the old dispensary and records department not being in operation, Persaud said that, “the dispensary is functional at another location because there is continuous rehabilitation that is going on at the original dispensary.” The dispensary is being extended to thrice its original size.

Some level of work is being carried out in the records department, in the interim; hence another area is being used to effect the department’s functions. The staff continues to function and all patients are getting their charts, he said.

The Emergency Room minus the hanging wires that were shown in the Stabroek News

“As far as I am aware there were no complaints, because I specifically spoke with the persons that are in charge of the records department to let me know if there is any difficulty,” the RHO said in face of the article’s claims that the staff complained of difficulty in tracing patient records.

“All the records are accessible and even though are not directly within the area that they are functioning now, they can move and get the records to come back and give to patients,” Persaud added.

There were also claims of staffers’ fear of victimization if they highlighted the conditions at the facility and Persaud said he hasn’t received any complaints of victimization and that no letter of such nature would have passed through his office.

Over the years, the WDRH would have benefited from a $43M rehabilitation of its in-patient blocks and a completed transformation of the Male and Female Medical blocks among others.

The hospital is among the many health facilities at the regional level that have seen massive rehabilitation and it is at present benefiting from a three-year plan (2012-2012) aimed at the overall upgrade of the facility, necessitated by the influx of patients.

Additional maintenance works that would have been done at the hospital includes the complete renovation of the medical and surgical blocks, as well as the maternity unit which is fully air conditioned and equipped with monitors.

The facility’s services would have also been augmented and diabetic foot care and VIA screening are now being offered.

The hospital also has surgical collaboration with the Georgetown Public Hospital.