Abandoned, elderly patients at GPHC - relatives respond

Abandoned, elderly patients at GPHC – relatives respond

Mar 16, 2014 News

Human Services Minister Jennifer Webster says the State does not have unlimited resources and as such persons need to take responsibility for their relatives who require home care.
The Minister made this comment in the wake of the issue that was highlighted recently of patients being abandoned at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
She noted that more frequently than is highlighted, elderly persons, especially those who have been abandoned by their loved ones, lead lives of neglect and poverty.

Some of the deserted patients at GPHC

“It’s a sad situation and hospital officials would usually network with probation officers to find alternative accommodations for these persons but there is only so much that we can do.
“Social workers would visit the hospital, on a regular basis but this not the issue, people need to take responsibility for parents and elderly relatives. While the government has a responsibility to its citizens, the state does not have unlimited resources and the homes are often overcrowded.”
The Minister says that she plans to table legislation in Parliament for protection of the elderly.
Often these elderly persons are being placed at a disadvantage by their very relatives for selfish reasons. While the Ministry would like to see a similar facility as the Palms in operation, it costs money. The administration of GPHC has been saddled with this problem for some time now. “
GPHC is primarily responsible for providing healthcare to the citizens, free of cost but the facility has been overwhelmed by elderly patients, who have been deserted by their families.
When Kaieteur news visited the hospital earlier last month, some of the deserted patients claimed to be ‘making do’ with whatever the hospital has to offer. Seven patients were found cramped in a room of the hospital.
Chief Executive Officer of GPHC, Michael Khan explained that the problem has had a severe impact on the hospital
“We have been inundated with patients who have been abandoned by their relatives. This becomes critical because of the high influx of people seeking medical care here and there are times when no beds are available and these discharged patients are occupying beds,” Khan said as he explained that there is an additional cost attached to keeping the patients at GPHC.
“It is a very sad situation and when abandoned patients die, we are forced to bury them after a period of waiting for relatives to claim the bodies.”
According to hospital staff, the cost for burial attached to that amounts to hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time.
Earlier this week, Kaieteur news opted to speak with the persons, who found themselves living at GPHC.
While their circumstances may differ, one statement resounded from among the elderly patients, who were cramped in a room of the male surgical unit at GPHC.
“We family aint want we and we aint got nowhere else fuh go.”
Some of the patients were living on the streets before they were admitted at GPHC; hence the hospital has become a shelter for them. They have been living there for more than three years. “Me aint got nobody meh used to dey at Bourda Market,” Bhola Bacchus said. He is bound to a wheelchair after suffering injuries to his spine.
Although they did not give details, quite a few others claimed to have led normal lives and never thought that they would have been deserted by his loved ones.
“Me used to wuk… me neva had trouble with me family, me gat one daughter, me nah know how she nah come fuh see meh, me glad fuh see she, meh nah really gat nobody else,” 67 year old, Terrence Teixeira said as he sat on hospital bed.
Teixeira is unable to walk; he was taken to the hospital to seek medical care for a fractured hip last March. However, despite his current physical condition, he recalls his life beyond the walls of GPHC.
“Me come from East Coast… me used to live at 74 Success Railway, Embankment.” Attempts made to contact the man’s relatives proved futile.
However his colleague, Kenneth Jairaj of Swan Street Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara has been a patient of Georgetown Hospital for almost three years. He was treated for multiple injuries, after he was admitted to the institution in 2012. Jairaj said that he has made an application to become a resident of the Palms.
“Meh bin get in one accident and meh family leff hay and tell me dem ah come back, meh neva see none body till now. Me ah wait fuh go at de Palms. De only people does come fuh see awe ah people wha does do social work.”
His relatives claimed that they did what was best, since they do not have the resources to take care of him.
Relatives of Salim Rashid, shared a similar notion,
Me come from a poor family we nah really got nothing and before we punish he, we leff he ah Georgetown Hospital and dem go send he ah de Palms.
Rashid is 57 year old. He was admitted to GPHC in 2012. He was being treated for malnutrition.
He believes that his relatives, did what they thought was best for him.
Several attempts made to contact the relatives of other patients proved futile. Many of them declined to speak with the press while others simply stated that they can’t help the situation. They all wished to remain anonymous.