Latest update November 21st, 2024 1:00 AM
Wismar Hospital needs at least six doctors for 24 hour service- Health Committee Chairman
By Enid Joaquin
Chairman of the Region Ten Health Committee, Dr. Gregory Harris, on Thursday, made a few
Dr. Gregory Harris
recommendations, for a better delivery of service at the Upper Demerara Hospital (Wismar Hospital), at the RDC statutory meeting of Councillors.
One of the recommendations put forward by Dr. Harris was that in order for the aforementioned facility to offer a 24-hour service, with doctors working ‘round the clock’ there needs to be at least six doctors attached to the institution.
Harris said that at present only two doctors work at the facility, and thus after midnight there is no doctor there to deal with any emergency if patients turn up.
“It makes no sense. Let’s say at 12 o’clock in the night people rush up there to be given certain service and it is not accessible. What you would see happening is that people would be hitting the media talking about the lack of this and that at the hospital. It would reflect negatively.”
Harris said that even though the Wismar hospital has an emergency department it is not functioning to full capacity because of a lack of certain facilities, and the absence of trained personnel in key areas.
He noted that for that reason, persons are referred to the sister facility at Mackenzie.
“When you have an Emergency Department, there are certain other departments that are needed to complement that department.” Harris posited.
Among the trained personnel needed is an Orthopaedic Technician, according to Harris.
He said that those are some of the limitations facing the hospital and that is why the facility only works a two shift system at present.
Negative perception.
Harris said that the Wismar Hospital is a level three health care institution. He added that a few years ago, when there was the need for an infectious department, at the Linden Hospital Complex, it was placed at Wismar, and so patients with infectious diseases such as Tuberculosis were referred to the facility.
He said that for that reason, persons had a negative perception of the facility, thinking that only TB and HIV patients were placed there. However, he stressed that not only patients with these diseases were treated at the facility, and that currently, patients are accessing many other services such paediatric, a gynaecology clinic and an x-ray department which functions twenty four hours. There is also access to the laboratory
Harris alluded to patients who go to the facility to access various other services, including pregnant mothers, who go to deliver their babies.
For last year, Harris pointed out that over 120 women gave birth at the hospital.
At present, Harris said, there are sixteen General Medical Officers in Region Ten with them spread out in Linden and Kwakwani. Two are stationed at the Upper Demerara hospital.
Harris’ recommendations were duly noted by the Regional Chairman and Councillors.
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