UPTICK’ IN COVID-19 NUMBERS SEEN AT PMH

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

COVID-19 units at Princess Margaret Hospital are full due to a slight increase in cases, a hospital official said.

PMH Medical Chief of Staff Dr Caroline BurnettGarraway spoke about admission trends at the hospital during a tour of the facility on Saturday.

“So our patient mix, we see about 25 percent paediatric patients and there was recently a surge with the RSV and different viruses that were circulating in the US and also in The Bahamas,” she said.

“And our COVID numbers there’s a slight uptick now as well. Meaning elderly persons, so they’re coming in for other reasons. We test all our admissions, and then we find that some of them are COVID positive. So our COVID units are actually full right now.”

Other diseases are leading to overcrowding at the hospital as well as trauma cases such as gunshot victims, she said.

“The non-communicable diseases - so diabetics out of control, hypertensive emergencies, heart attacks, strokes, those are the common things that we’re seeing. Pneumonias as well, mainly in the elderly and, of course, we have our trauma patients. So the assaults, gunshot wounds that continue to challenge us from New Providence and the Family Islands.”

Asked if there may be an increase in people seeking care for ailments that were not treated during the COVID-19 pandemic, she said: “That was a challenge because we weren’t able to do any elective surgery and we’re still challenged with that.

“We have elective cases like ladies who are bleeding who need a hysterectomy. Gentlemen with hernias or urological problems. Our eye surgery is also backed up. So certainly, the pandemic did affect that.” taking our patients under our contractual agreement, however they have to be more stabilised patients. As I expressed previously, what we are now seeing is unstable patients that really have to remain here for closer observation. So our census is down to Doctors Hospital - we’ve been up to about 41.

“Of course, as with every patient, there’s a discharge date. So we have 13 stable patients there now, we have about 13 boarders here now, and for admissions, we have 13 – We have 13 patients awaiting admission and so we just have to continually look. The number of patients fluctuates. It’s

By EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

WITH allegations of negligence at Princess Margaret Hospital, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said the hospital “definitely” has “elements of possible malpractice”, adding it was up to officials to minimise such incidents.

Public outrage was ignited earlier this month after the death of Kenise Darville, who went live on Facebook days before her death. The distraught mother of three claimed that she experienced negligence and poor healthcare at PMH.

News of her death prompted other persons to share their alleged bad experiences at the hospital.

After a tour of PMH very, very fluid, but we try to accommodate as much as possible all of the unstable patients.”

PMH had some 20 longterm boarders at one point, however, officials are working along with private sector groups and elderly homes to ensure that these people have places where they can live and open up critical bed space.

Dr Darville also spoke more about the plans for the new hospitals in Grand Bahama and New Providence.

He reported that the hospital for Grand Bahama that is being led by the Beck Group is in advanced stages.

Furthermore, officials on Saturday, Dr Darville was questioned about the level of concern about the number of allegations and persons afraid to go to the institution. He answered: “Well, you know, allegations for the delivery of healthcare services is something that is age old. Every facility throughout the world, there’s elements of possible malpractice and the legal parameters associated with it. I cannot point to one hospital anywhere that I’ve been involved in where these allegations have not been brought forward.

“There’s a system that’s in place, and there’s a legal system that is tied in with the PHA legal system and any person who feels as if there’s an element of malpractice, they have a right to seek legal advice. But are now finalising the topographic studies and the geotechnical studies on the new piece of property that is now confirmed for the construction of that facility in Grand Bahama. Our medical planners have clearly indicated on completion of that hospital we plan not to have two campuses. The hospital at Rand Memorial Hospital will go down to a secondary facility where we will provide geriatric care as well as psychiatric care and we have a very robust and decent operating theatre where we will do some same day surgeries.”

He reported that the feasibility study for the hospital in New Providence is while that’s happening, it is our responsibility to minimise those allegations by improving our customer service relations by putting advocates in place so that loved ones can constantly be in contact with their loved ones on the ward and any aspect as it relates to malpractice can be brought to the forefront.

“I can assure you, the PHA, the Ministry of Health and Wellness, we’re an open book and we definitely have elements of possible malpractice. You can see it - it happens in the court system. But while that’s happening it is our responsibility to improve the service and to ensure that we minimise that and to stay in communication with family members who have reports of possible mistreatment of their loved ones.” completed.

“That particular hospital based on the planners will be a specialty hospital focusing on maternity care, adolescents, paediatric care. There will be a reference lab. There will be a national morgue and there will be expanded diagnostic services.

“I will unveil to the press very shortly, our planned structure for that facility because it will be two phases. The first phase will be the specialty hospital and the second phase that we possibly will not get to in this term in office will be a second campus that would reflect the services that will happen here at the Princess Margaret Hospital.”

Mrs Darville’s mourning family has demanded answers surrounding the circumstances of her death and has called for changes in the public healthcare system.

In the wake of the controversy, Dr Darville said that an investigation was underway.

“I was familiar with the case,” he told The Tribune in a previous interview. “I’ve seen the posting on social media, and instructed the Princess Margaret Hospital and the Public Hospitals Authority to do an immediate investigation into the allegations. I’m certain that is already being done. And in short order, the PHA and Princess Margaret Hospital will be issuing a statement once all the factual information has been obtained.”