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A few hours at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre
Patients anxiously awaiting a doctor to attend to their issues, at the entrance of the Clinic.
– only Cuban Doctors working
By Rabindra Rooplall
After many complaints from patients who visit the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, Kaieteur News decided to investigate some of the complaints.
Arriving at 7:26 hrs Monday, the benches were packed and persons were standing in front the entrance of the Center awaiting the arrival of the doctors, who are suppose to start working from eight hours, I was told.
However, while standing I noticed a group of person also gathering at the pharmacy entrance at the side of the building, and I proceeded to inquire of the procedure. I was told that I had to collect a number from the security at the gate; that number was 77.
Minutes after the ninth hour a Cuban optometrist walked out the hospital, and attended to a line of patients. He told them to return on August 24. Clearly he could not comprehend English properly, since he asked the female guard to decipher what a patient was explaining to him. Nevertheless, he issued another date and proceeded into the hospital.
Clearly after the humidity intensified, the persons and patients identified to visit the doctor were beginning to become frustrated, especially those who were standing.
There were many mothers with their children to visit the doctor. One frustrated woman stated, “Some people send others to just come early the day before and collect a number for somebody else…so when they family come they already got an early number and still got to wait.”
It was 10 hrs and I enquired from the security why is the line taking so long. I was told that there was a meeting between the doctors. However, when I further enquired from sources within the hospital I was told that only Cuban Doctors are attending to patients. “Whenever there is a big crowd they get together and set out how to deal with it.”
When I asked the source if there was enough staff it was revealed that “there is a shortage of doctors and all the English-speaking ones were transferred to other clinics and that some are on leave.”
Finally the number six was called. How far away my number 77 was? I wondered what if my situation was dire, what would have happened to me? And yes there were people crying while awaiting the call of their number.
All the numbers were eventually called and persons were registered to visit the doctor. Now the real waiting began and the entire day finishes. When I left the Diamond Diagnostic Centre no one was seen and I stayed in contact with someone at the centre. I called at 14:06 hrs and the situation I was
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