Dear Editor,
Reference is made to your correspondence dated June 9, 2012 pertaining to a letter that was published by the Stabroek News on June 8, 2012 under the caption, ‘There should not be two mothers and their babies to a bed in the Georgetown Hospital.’
Management wishes to inform you that it is aware of this situation and advises that it is neither proud nor happy about it. The comfort and care of these patients are of paramount importance; however, there are limitations which cannot be overcome overnight. The Maternity Unit is currently under construction to accommodate over a dozen beds each on the Pre and Post-Natal Wards. These works are expected to be completed within a matter of weeks. This will, to some extent, alleviate the difficulty of overcrowding.
Management however wishes to state that the problem of bed-sharing arises mainly as a result of two factors: during certain periods of the year (also referred to as ‘crop season’), there is an increase in the number of patients who are admitted to the ward, in addition to the unexpected referrals which come to the institution.
There is also the problem of patients who ‘lodge’ on the ward and/or some who do not leave because their babies have been admitted to the Neo-natal Unit.
Management cannot be insensitive and demand that these mothers leave, so they remain on the ward. Management cannot ask them to sit and sleep in the chairs outside the unit either, for that too will be met with obvious and just criticisms.
The staff mentioned in this letter are all aware and concerned about this situation, but the hospital can only function with the resources it has.
Yours faithfully,
A Proctor
Public Relations Office
Georgetown Public
Hospital Corporation
