Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) Dr Sheik Amir and Director of the Emergency Department Dr Zulfikar Bux yesterday appealed to patients to utilize local health centres and clinics for non-emergencies.
The GPHC’s Accident and Emergency Department sees a turnover of 150 to 200 patients a day, Bux said in remarks at a breakfast for the media hosted by the hospital.
There are only 17 beds in the department, which can have some 80 patients at any one time, he related. Stating that the major complaint he has heard from the public is that hospital staff take too long or no one is looking at them, Bux said doctors do look at the patients when they arrive and categorize them according to their level of urgency.
“It is according to protocol that the doctor sees you and puts you into the categories that you are supposed to be seen… There are doctors and nurses there to decide your level of urgency,” he added. Noting that some of the cases seen at the hospital are not life threatening, he urged that such persons visit the closest health centre. “If it is a non-emergency and something is bothering you then you can go to the health centres or your hospital in the area. If it is life threatening and it is an emergency then you come to the Georgetown Public Hospital,” Bux stressed.
He said the staff at the health centres are to stabilize the patient before making a referral to the GPHC, if necessary.
“The role of the health centre is for non-urgent matters and we understand that some of those health centres are resource challenged, but they are supposed to call us first,” he added.
Amir concurred, “Any proper functioning health care system, patients are supposed to visit their nearest health facility first. If that facility cannot take care of you adequately, the personnel are supposed to contact the facility they are going to send you to ensure that the receiving facility is aware that they are sending you,” Amir said.
The acting CEO made reference to a protocol of referring patients to the GPHC, which includes written documentation of what they have found wrong with the patient, what they have done and why they would be referring the patient to the hospital.
He added that health centres do not follow the protocol properly.
Amir said the GPHC has taken four health centres under its care at this time—Kitty, Industry, Enmore and Campbellville—and hinted that there is a difference in those health centres compared with the rest of health centres countrywide.
When Stabroek News visited the Kitty Health Centre, one of the senior doctors there said it takes on a huge influx of patients who are not required to go to the GPHC unless they are referred.
However, the health care practitioner said that a lot of persons are not aware of what their local health centre can provide and in most cases persons opt to go to GPHC instead.
According to the doctor, the Kitty Health Centre, though not vast like the Campbellville Health Centre, offers antenatal and prenatal care, chronic disease treatment and care, and more.
