Public Health Ministry eyes dual emergency unit

Mar 01, 2017 News

…proposal already crafted

Recognizing the daily strain that is put on the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Unit of the

Director of GPHC’s A&E Unit, Dr. Zulfikar Bux

Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), newly installed Public Health Minister, Volda Lawrence, has intentions to set up two separate units to deal with different types of emergencies there.
She explained that there needs to be a section specifically designed to handle accidents and other “bloodshed cases”, while there ought to be another set up to deal with persons experiencing severe pains and/or reactions to other illnesses.
“We need a separate unit to look at various incidents like persons being shot, being disfigured and all of that…we are looking at all of that, there is a lot going on at the Ministry right now,” Minister Lawrence said.
She added that the Public Health Ministry has already entered into talks with Vanderbilt Medical Centre in the United States to examine ways in which the GPHC’s A&E Unit can be reformed.
Dr. Zulfikar Bux, Director of GPHC’s Accident and Emergency Unit, said that the current structure of the A&E ward is far from being ideal, and poses difficulty to medical practitioners carrying out their duties.
“It is not what it should be,” Dr. Bux said.
He explained that the existing model of the unit sees all categories of patients overcrowding one very small department. In addition to accidents and other trauma cases GPHC’s emergency unit also has to handle various issues that can be dealt with by the out-patient department.
A proposal which is soon to be submitted to Minister Lawrence entails a massive expansion of the emergency ward. This, according to Dr. Bux, will ensure that there are sections specifically designed to deal with various types of cases.

Public Health Minister, Volda Lawrence

He explained, though, that the proposal does not exactly outline separate emergency units, but rather, a massive extension of the existing one, to accommodate various aspects of medical emergencies.
“This would be in the same department, but the different types of cases –trauma and non trauma— would have their own section that would be equipped to handle the issues.”
Dr. Bux told Kaieteur News that a pediatric emergency unit is also a major aspect of the proposal, and is likely to soon become a reality.
He said that GPHC’s A&E unit has been in an unsuitable condition for more than 15 years now. “And we have always had talks with previous Ministers about the expansion, but it really seems like this Minister (Volda Lawrence) is really pushing for it now,” Dr. Bux added.
Over the years, there have been countless complaints emanating from officials working within the hospital’s emergency unit. Being the largest public health institution in the country, GPHC is tasked with responding to and treating not only the accidents and emergency cases in and around Georgetown, but referrals from all across the country.
“We have emergency medical evacuations from the interior and so…and all of that goes to GPHC’s A&E Unit…This is one of the many reasons why that area there is always so crowded,” former Public Health Minister, Dr. George

The Accident and Emergency Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.

Norton had once highlighted.
For several years, those seeking medical assistance at GPHC’s A&E Unit have repeatedly complained about the slothfulness of being triaged and later treated. Many have even condemned the nurses and doctors of the unit for their “inability” to treat the sick. But what is often overlooked is the fact that there are many contributing factors to this scenario, including the existence of limited resources- personnel and otherwise, at that particular ward of the hospital.
“This is why we need to come up with a solution,” Minister Lawrence said.
The example, she noted, also highlights the need for regional hospitals to become advanced enough to handle cases that would normally be referred to the GPHC. Efforts have begun in this direction, Minister Lawrence said.
(Rehana Ahamad)

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