GPHC revamping image to attract more patients

Sep 23, 2013 News

Even in the face of some daunting concerns, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) is working to steadily improve its mode of operation whereby patients are more comfortable to access its services.

GPHC Departmental Supervisor, Sister June Cato

At least, this is according to Senior Departmental Supervisor of the Maternity Unit, Sister June Cato, who during an interview with this publication insisted that particular focus is being directed to the nurses attached to the institution.
According to her, since the GPHC is a referral hospital and is therefore required to cater to patients coming from various hospitals across the Regions, it is expected to deliver a wide-range of services. Sister Cato also mentioned that a great deal of attention is being given to the area of maternal and child health. “We are trying our utmost to ensure that our staff members are equipped to handle any obstetric emergencies…” said Sister Cato.
She informed too that already doctors are mandated to undertake an ongoing Advanced Labour and Risk Management (ALARM) programme so as to ensure that they are in a better position to undertake their duties in this regard. And in order to have nurses, midwives in particular, similarly prepared, Sister Cato revealed that they too are exposed to the ALARM programme.
“This is being used as part of our continued education because the midwife would have had her training but with the additional ALARM training the midwife is able to learn how to better deal with obstetric emergencies too,” asserted Sister Cato.
Moreover, she noted that within the Maternity Unit for instance “we are encouraging persons to come to the hospital, and though you might have heard negative things we are prepared to offer a better service… I am not going to say to you we will never get another infant or maternal death but we are putting our best foot forward in terms of care,” added the GPHC Supervisor.
The moves to continually upgrade professionals, according to Sister Cato, are all aimed at improving the image of the public hospital. Added to this, she said that ongoing customer care workshops are intended to help position staffers at all levels to better deal with the public.
“We know that persons come here with varying attitudes but we are having our staff exposed to these training programmes so that they are able to cope with those different personalities,” said the Senior Departmental Supervisor.
She disclosed that already the GPHC has recorded an increase in the number of mothers seeking its services and there are fewer complaints as it relates to staff conduct and their level of professionalism. “I must say that we have been working really hard in the Maternity Unit to make sure that things go right in terms of how the services we offer, are delivered,” added Sister Cato.
Sister Cato has been in the nursing profession for over 34 years and is hopeful that those entering the profession are not merely doing so to earn an income. She emphasised that “you have to be able to show empathy with persons coming to access the services we offer here. In this profession you have to have a lot of love and understanding; you literally have patients’ lives in your hands and as a nurse you must be able to support these patients and even their families as well.”
She noted too that although there are a number of nurses in the profession efforts are made to depend more on the mature and experienced nurses to help impart to the younger nurses what is expected in the nursing profession in terms of care.
These strategic actions that are being embraced by the GPHC are in fact critical to the improving of the services offered, noted Sister Cato, who expressed confidence that “we are moving in the right direction.”

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