Berbice health services at crisIs level, Regional Chairman blasts officials

Nov 05, 2018 News

---

 

-18 doctors on leave at NA Hospital
-machines, air conditioning down at Skeldon Hospital after GUYSUCO power cut
– $10M Platanker Health Centre empty and marabunta-infested

Director of Health in Berbice Jeavaughn Stephens was last Thursday put in the hot seat after several deficiencies were highlighted at the Regional Democratic Council’s monthly statutory meeting.
Regional Chairman David Armogan revealed that the New Amsterdam Hospital is currently without 19 doctors, since Dr. Vineshri Khirodhar who is currently acting as the CEO of the hospital, approved the annual vocation leave for 18 physicians and then proceeded on leave as well.
This has left the institution with fewer than 15 doctors.

Director of Health, Stephens confirmed the shortage of doctors, while stating that the matter is under investigation and that the Ministry of Health was fully aware of the situation.
The Chairman, David Armogan, said, “Something is wrong with the health system. They are saying there is a shortage of doctors at the New Amsterdam Hospital because the Accident and Emergency is not fully serviced since they are supposed to have two to three doctors at any given time because of the patient load that exists.”
According to him, although the need exists for doctors to be available, the acting CEO Dr. Vineshri Khirodhar approved the leave for 18 of her colleagues and proceeded on her leave “and the few that remain can’t take the load”. Armogan pointed out that there is a patient build up at the Accident and Emergency unit because the doctors are not available.
“It is totally unacceptable”, he said, while highlighting that things are done differently now.
Armogan stated that previously, doctors or any public servant would apply for leave at the beginning of the year and then submit their application to the Human Resources Department so that the region knows that the doctors have applied for leave.

“So, we work in such a way that the system doesn’t suffer and that at any given point in time, there is enough coverage to cater for the people who have to be serviced and that is the problem that we have today.”
He suggested that some of the doctors who proceeded on leave be recalled.
The New Amsterdam Hospital has been without a CEO since July when Collin Bynoe who held that position proceeded on leave. He confirmed that his leave ended on September 30.
This publication understands that his contract was not renewed. Dr. Khirodhar is meanwhile acting as the CEO. She was the medical superintendent of the institution.
Meanwhile, adding to the shortage of medical staff at the institution, the Skeldon Hospital is currently operating with several services down. This was brought to light at the RDC meeting. According to the Regional Chairman, the ultrasound machines, the x-ray machines, physiotherapy and even the air conditioning units are inoperable for the past two months.
Responding, Director Jeavaughn Stephens said what Armogan highlighted was not “totally accurate” but rather the services are down for four weeks.
“We had to take off some of the services because we got power from GUYSUCO and we are no longer getting from GUYSUCO. An assessment was done, and we tried to put it on the GPL grid, that is what is taking the time because if we operate the equipment now, we are going to be running at a risk. Every day, we are calling GPL.”
In addition to the woes at the New Amsterdam Hospital and Skeldon Hospital, Kaieteur News has also learnt that two health centres that were built at a cost of $16M and $20M respectively, have not been in operation.
According to the Deputy Regional Vice Chairman, Dennis DeRoop, the Number 76 Health Centre and the Platanker Health Centre on the East Bank of Berbice is being overrun with vegetation. The contract for the Platanker Health Centre was awarded in 2016 to Contractor Dennis Tahal at a cost of $16M while the Number 76 Health Centre contract was awarded to Memorex Construction Services in early 2017 at a cost of $20M. Both buildings were left abandoned, the vice chairman said.
“Why are we spending this money and we are not delivering services to the people?” he asked.
In response, the Director said that the plumbing, electrical work and some other minor structural faults were the cause for the delay in having the centres opened.
“We have already procured furnishing for both facilities so as soon as the engineering department hands over the building, we will be ready to occupy”.
But Armogan argued that there was a lack of co-ordination between the health department and the administration.
“When were the deficiencies identified? Was the contractor asked to correct those deficiencies? So many questions, this again is not acceptable. We can’t come three years after and say that the reason why the thing is not opened yet is because of structure deficiencies, it should have been identified weeks after, not years”.
He then told the Director of Health to ensure that the buildings are cleaned and put into operation.
He was given two months to get it done.
Meanwhile, when Kaieteur News visited the Platanker Health centre on Friday, nurses and hospital cleaning staff were cleaning the building, which was infested with wasp (marabunta) nests. The compound was also being weeded.
Kaieteur News was not permitted to enter, since one nurse said that the Director of Health had not granted clearance.
However, residents said that it was the first time they had seen “so many nurses or anybody really at the building since it was built two years ago”.
One resident said, “a nurse does only come and check the building and then go away back”. When asked how they access health care in the area, many complained that they travelled to the New Amsterdam Hospital and sometimes the Sister’s Health Centre.
They added that it takes close to two hours to reach New Amsterdam.
One resident claimed it costs between $10,000- $15,000 for a trip to New Amsterdam.

---

---