Latest update January 30th, 2025 6:10 AM
Jan 24, 2019 News
A visit to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital yesterday at the request of residents in Berbice revealed a state of confusion and stress among patients waiting to see a doctor at the Accident and Emergency Unit.
According to a health care worker at the hospital, there is a new chart system implemented by the Chief Executive Officer. It allows for the removal of prescription at the A&E. An A&E chart is used, similar to one used at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
However, on the chart at the New Amsterdam Hospital a considerable list of details has to be filled out before the patient is seen. Those details include name, address, race, nationality and age.
According to the source at the hospital who witnessed the confusion since the system was implemented several days ago, “The nurse runs some tests, blood tests, etc and she inquires and writes down the complaint that the patient has.
“When she finishes, she will determine if it is urgent or not.”
According to the source, the doctors then tend to the “urgent matters” before the other patients “like those with vomiting, diarrhoea and so on.”
Previously, when patients arrive at the A&E, they would meet with a clerk and a number is given. That number is called in sequence to allow a meet with the doctor.
The source explained that previously, if a doctor saw 10 patients within the hour, he/she is now tasked with assessing one patient within that time frame “because the doctors now have to assess you fine, fine for every little thing.”
This system, however, has caused a buildup of patients, including schoolchildren, outside the A&E department. When students were given preferences to be attended to by a doctor, they are now forced to “join the line” before a doctor sees them.
This has resulted in many skipping school for that day when they visit the hospital. The elderly are treated just the same. Yesterday, an elderly woman was seen crying outside the door of the A&E. Upon an inquiry, the woman said that ‘she stand up here since morning and she in pain.’
The crying woman related that she was at the hospital since 8:00 am yesterday and only saw a doctor at 13:00 hrs. It was also revealed that there was only one doctor in the department.
A woman who was standing with her child dressed in her uniform said she was standing and waiting for three hours. She explained that they visited the hospital on Tuesday and was told to return yesterday, since she appeared to have a broken arm.
However, she stated that persons who came after her were seen by a doctor while she was left standing with her injured daughter outside the unit.
“They told me, I have to wait, that it is not an emergency, no proper reason really,” she said.
Another frustrated parent who was also there with her child in uniform, told this publication that she visited the institution a week ago and had to go to the old hospital located at Charles Place, New Amsterdam to uplift a form to visit the lab.
However, when she turned up at the lab, the health professionals there told her that, “they are not accepting that form.”
According to her, she was given another form at the A&E where a doctor signed the empty form. “But when the form sign, I have to go through the long process just to rewrite the form just to carry back to the lab.
“I have to come back again next week. My daughter is a CXC student; she is missing school again and it is not fair. I am here since 7:45 this morning.”
One patient messaged at 15:15 hrs yesterday afternoon and stated that she is still waiting to be treated and that she was there since 8:00 am yesterday.
She complained, “Can’t even see the CEO [because] she’s in a meeting all day. People have been here since 6:30; they came Tuesday and didn’t get through so they come back.”
According to a medical professional at the institution, “At 12:00 today, imagine 90 patients registered and only six saw the doctor. A man took his one-year-old child since 9:00 in the morning and done at 4:00 this afternoon. It is too stressful. Even the doctors frustrated because some patients threatening the doctors.”
Jan 30, 2025
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