An Alliance For Change (AFC) Region Six councillor yesterday said that the region’s health system is in a bad state, as he noted that he has been receiving numerous complaints from persons who have suffered at the hands of the region’s health sector. As such he made a call for the Director of Regional Health Services, Jevaughn Stephens, to be disciplined.
The AFC regional councilor, Devin Sookraj, who mostly remains quiet during the region’s statutory meetings, yesterday lashed out after the region’s health committee report was presented and the council was made aware of several issues at the New Amsterdam Public Hospital. Sookraj said, “Not in New Amsterdam alone, the whole Region Six in a bad state.”
He stressed that he has been receiving many complaints from patients about what they have endured at the health institutions throughout the region, “Health is one of the most important things and I will not sit here and see certain things go wrong.” “The regional director of health needs to be disciplined,” said a seemingly upset Sookraj.
Additionally he noted, that at a recent statutory meeting when he spoke about issues that were going on at the New Amsterdam Hospital, he received “licks on that”, as he claimed that his party had told him that he should not have “mentioned certain things.”
However, he said, “But no, these things you are reading in the papers should be taken very serious, we have to put a stop somewhere, we have to help the situation.”
According to Sookraj, to his knowledge, in times past, the person in charge of the health institutions in the region had to provide a daily report to the regional chairman. He said this should be done again so that health officials can be held accountable and issues can be dealt with immediately.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the region’s health committee, Zamal Hussain, told the council that they are many “crisis issues” in the region’s health system.
According to Hussain, on Wednesday, Director Stephens was absent from the region’s health meeting since he was out of the region on official business. However, Hussain added, that other personnel were also absent from the meeting, hence the committee was not able to get much clarity on issues.
Hussain explained that since arriving in the region late last year, the CEO of the New Amsterdam Public Hospital, Dr Samantha Kennedy, has only attended one health meeting. He said, “She is unreachable, untouchable and is being covered by the power.”
Nevertheless, he told the council that, “The situation at New Amsterdam Hospital remains critical, people accessing the facility still coming out at [late] time that was happening one month ago.”
Hussain stressed that while issues are being highlighted, solutions must be also implemented for the betterment of the citizens of the region, however he said that this is not being done.
He said that presently there is a shortage of diabetic strips at the hospital, “We made recommendation after discussion that these things must come forward and they should be procured, but at the tender board level we are not getting these stuff and there is a shortage of diabetic strips in the region.”
He added, that the X ray department at the region’s main health institution, “is only doing some kind of x ray.”
He also noted that the death of the Shieldstown baby at the New Amsterdam Public Hospital was among other issues that were discussed at the health meeting, “but we are still awaiting answers.”
Additionally, Hussain stated, that attention must be paid to breaches at the National Psychiatric Hospital, since he noted that a supposed patient of the hospital was found dead in Stanleytown. Hussain said the relatives of that person is seeking answers as well.
In relation to the Port Mourant Hospital, Hussain said, the health committee was made aware that there is a shortage of doctors. He said it was also reported that there was some amount of drugs shortage at the said hospital, “But the pharmacist was here and he said that they have the tablets but there are some communication issues in the sector. Basic drugs that are in the bond at New Amsterdam cannot be given to the patients who are in need of it.”
