Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Board Chairman Dr. Max Hanoman says the hospital has seen several improvements, including a reduction of the waiting time at the Accident and Emer-gency (A&E) Unit.
Speaking at a press conference at the hospital on Thursday, Hanoman explained that when he became the chairman of the board, he realised there was a tremendous amount of work to be done to improve the hospital.
He said that he was fortunate enough to be able to work with a team of board members who were diverse and supportive in addressing the difficulties at the institution.
He recalled that one of the first major issues he encountered was overcrowding at the A&E and was able to diagnose one of the major causes of the problem. “We had the overcrowding because there was a breakdown in communication. The reluctance of nurses to admit patients to the ward and very often they would say they don’t have beds in the wards and when you go and check there were beds available,” he said, while adding that the discharges from the wards were not done efficiently and effectively, which resulted in a backlog of patients.
In addition to the overcrowding at the Emergency Room (ER), Hanoman pointed out that the beds there were unsuitable, the surroundings were untidy and unhygienic, there was a lack of cardiac monitors and the shortages of nurses resulted in a high level of absenteeism. “The A&E is the face of the hospital and I took it on myself to try to improve it,” he said, while also noting that the board appealed to friends and fellow Guyanese doctors abroad to assist the hospital.
He explained that their requests were not in vain as they were able to get eight cardiac monitors, two ECG machines and were able to order 20 mattresses, which were used to replace the old ones. “The washrooms were tidied and there are now running water, toilet tissue and lights, so there has been improvements,” he said.
According to Hanoman, with the slight refurbishing and addition of equipment, the overcrowding has also decreased drastically and there is at least a five-hour reduction in waiting time and quicker movement of patients from the ER to the wards.
Addressing the staff, Hanoman explained that he felt that there was no team work, which coupled with the shortage of nurses was a major contributor to the slow rate of treatment. “Within a system like Georgetown Hospital, you have multiple areas and once there is severe shortages in one area, there is a tendency of moving nurses,” he said.
Hanoman highlighted that shortages increase frustration among the nurses, which puts emotional stress on them and influences their behavioral patterns, which affects the hospital as a whole.
Hanoman pointed out that while doctors who invest time into training nurses for lengthy periods feel that their efforts are not being respected when a nurse is transferred, there is a plan to train nurses in specialised areas, starting with the A&E. He said there will be a collaboration between GPHC, the University of Guyana and Vanderbilt University.
He said he hopes that in the future other hospitals around the country will be fully equipped with a proper team and equipment so as to decrease the patient load at GPHC.
Hanoman said that with his tenure, he is hoping to leave the hospital with a fully functional A&E department and delivering a high level of health care services.
