Friday, August 1, 2014
By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
A LOCAL physician has raised concerns about the Princess Margaret Hospital, chief among them a shortage of much needed antibiotics along with deteriorating conditions that have left leaking roofs and buckets strategically placed around the facility to collect the dripping water.
The challenges, among others, were outlined in an email obtained by The Tribune which was sent to scores of healthcare professionals and spoke of the experiences of patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) this week.
The e-mail highlighted a situation at the ICU where two critical care patients were in need of Ampicillin, but could not receive the medication because the PMH pharmacy said the drugs were in limited supply and were being reserved for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The doctor wrote that there was uncertainty of when new supplies would arrive.
It was an attempt, from a PMH doctor whose identity is being withheld, to start a dialogue on how changes at the hospital could be sparked with a view to enhancing the patient experience.
Other issues at the hospital, according to the doctor, included a breakdown in obtaining microbiological studies and low staff morale.
The email said: “The lack of timely specimen collection and reporting leads directly to poor patient outcomes, inappropriate broad spectrum antibiotic use and development of antibiotic resistance, which is near epidemic proportions in our ICUs.
“The air-conditioning system was not functioning in the ICU/ Post Anaesthesia Care Unit this week. The compressor on one of the A/C units that served this area failed and had to be removed and ordered from the US. We were told that because the other A/C unit that served the area (and possibly other areas) was still turned on, we could not open the windows because it would overwork this remaining unit.
“As a result the temperature in the ICU and PACU was uncomfortably hot, despite the acquisition of fans, including a very large and noisy model that made communication difficult.
“Leaky roofs, both in the Theatre and the upstairs foyer with placement of buckets all around is not only unsightly, but carries its own hazards. Many times this is due to poorly designed A/C overflow plumbing, which may not reach outside the hospital,” the e-mail said.
“Patient overcrowding, beginning in A&E and every other nook and cranny of our facility and outpatient clinics makes coming to PMH, whether for work, medical care or visitation a task.”
The e-mail also noted that the multi-million dollar Critical Care Block is not being utilised while doctors and patients suffer in the aging hospital.
“We have a brand new $100 million addition just to the north of our existing complex that we need to, want to, must occupy,” the doctor said.
While there have been several calls for the government to open the Critical Care Block at PMH, officials have confirmed that a number of challenges have prevented it from becoming fully operational. In addition to not having the funding for important medical equipment, officials have yet to recruit the staff needed.
Although The Tribune contacted the Public Hospitals Authority to respond to the claims, up to press time a formal statement was not received.
Comments
hj says...
Another disgrace. Money can't be found to fix PMH and buy medicine. However money can be easily found to pay consultants,travel abroad and finance failed projects.
Posted 1 August 2014, 1:36 p.m. Suggest removal
proudloudandfnm says...
Running out of antibiotics?!?!? What is our government doing? WTH?
Posted 1 August 2014, 1:39 p.m. Suggest removal
SP says...
Make the dam HAITIANS PAY for medical and education. They are dragging our country down to their level.
Get rid of the PLP, FNM and the dam Haitians!
Posted 1 August 2014, 2:25 p.m. Suggest removal
Emac says...
As the years go by I am becoming more and more concerned about this place I call my home. This country recently celebrated its 41st Independence and we still find ourselves in these avoidable situations. Any government that truly cares for it's people would make sure that the elderly is looked after, that young people receive proper education and everyone has access to some form of healthcare.
Whenever I have some relative who is bed ridden at PMH it takes me awhile to build up my courage to visit this dump. It is pathetic! What really hit home for me was when I went to see my sick mother who was admitted to the EMR. She was stretch out on one of those gurneys, while waiting for a bed. My god, it was the worst day of my life! Lucky for us my family is vigilant when it comes to our mother's health and we had to step in and resolve the problem immediately. But I can imagine families who have to go through the agony of seeing their love ones live in such slop and dying without any dignity. It is unacceptable. And yes SP, a large percentage of illegals are dominating the space. I couldn't believe it when I went there. I thought I was in little Haiti. The same thing can be seen in schools. But let's not blame the Haitians for our problems. They come here because both the FNM and PLP continue to play the vote for me for citizenship game. By extension we keep putting these two parties back in power. TO compound this, Bahamians are the biggest hypocrites themselves. We are the ones who continue to hire illegals or have them live on our properties for a few measly dollars.
Posted 1 August 2014, 3:36 p.m. Suggest removal
TheMadHatter says...
That is correct. People need to ask the question WHERE are these Haitians getting MONEY to buy food from?
There are plenty Haitians - so there must be PLENTY Bahamians giving them jobs.
Bahamians need to realize that giving Haitians jobs MEANS turning the Bahamas into Haiti.
Hopefully more and more Bahamians will SUFFER themselves or via their family members in the PMH garbage dump - and more and more will then start to realize what is going on.
We are AT WAR with Haiti. Haiti has declared WAR on the Bahamas. But they've kept it a secret and most of us are too ignorant to even be aware it is happening.
When you can declare war on a country and fight that war in broad daylight - destroying and ravaging as you go - and the people being destroyed are not even aware of what you are doing - THEN you are most certainly destined to win.
The Haitians will win. We will lose. Bahamians shop every single day in the shanty town shops (duty free, license fee free, NIB contribution free) - to get cheap products (of course they are cheap because of the 3 reasons listed). I WONDER IF THEY PAY ANY MONEY TO HAITIANS FOR THOSE ITEMS THEY BUY? Of course they do. That is only ONE way they get money to finance their war.
**TheMadHatter**
Posted 1 August 2014, 11:20 p.m. Suggest removal
cammyleflage says...
This entire newspaper article is bull ca ca. And you people keep falling for it? Awesomely, PMH, has a sufficient supply of alternative antibiotics....see, young people, there is not only one of these things. Well, Apparently Bahamas Issues trying to live on the Tribune? Tribune does not have good categories. Nope. So, that will not work. Bahamians! DO YOU Want to live in Gaza right now? Anyone? Yes, that is what the dawg thought. Jesus, please help us and take the Wheel. Now. Please.
Posted 1 August 2014, 10:56 p.m. Suggest removal
SP says...
Get rid of the PLP, FNM and the dam Haitians!
Posted 2 August 2014, 10:54 a.m. Suggest removal
TrueBah1234 says...
As a nurse working at PMH it is fully known that PMH runs out of medication and supplies on a daily basis. Their is staff shortages all around because the ministry along with the nursing school try to delay the graduation of the many competent nursing students that I have worked with on the wards. Secondly, the mass hiring of foreign nurses via internet interview is out of control, and the thing is these nurses do not have to sit our council examination when we are put through hell educationally and on the job. And to confirm for every citizen admitted to a ward, 2-3 haitians are admitted and if you go to the maternity wards it is over crowded with haitians. The system is overburdened and moral is low even for the Bahamian nurses. And I have been told by many nursing students who are bonded to the government financially that they have not been paid in 4 months and have not been given any reason. So can you imagine dealing with all the structural, staffing, overcrowding and supply problems all at once and the up and coming nurses having to deal with the same issues in addition to not being paid while this government travels pays foreign consultants and invest in other countries. The PLP have to go.
Posted 3 August 2014, 9:31 a.m. Suggest removal
Emac says...
WOW! That is totally unacceptable in this day and age.
Posted 3 August 2014, 10:40 a.m. Suggest removal
Publius says...
But the government is taking $9 million of our money to put in their personal pockets for Carnival though.
Posted 3 August 2014, 7:08 p.m. Suggest removal
Log in to comment