Trudy Simpson, Staff Reporter
( LEFT )McCartney ... There is a certain degree of frustration among the medical staff. - CARLINGTON WILMOT/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER ( RIGHT )Baugh ... Warns of downward spiral if Government does not review policies. - RUDOLPH BROWN/CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
OPPOSITION SPOKESMAN on Health, Dr. Ken Baugh, has warned that more problems are going to surface if the Government does not move swiftly to correct existing problems in the health sector.
In an interview with The Gleaner, Dr. Baugh said the current crisis facing the sector is resulting from policies and actions taken years before, among them, the slashing of budgets which covered certain basics and the restructuring of management systems which resulted in more far removed management of hospitals by regional health authorities.
HARSH ECONOMIC REALITIES
In addition, he said public hospitals are facing shortages because they are being forced to get revenue from patients in fee collections for services. However, many patients cannot pay because they are un-employed, he said.
Coupled with a harsh economy, these developments, he said, have led to short-comings in the health system, which "increases the risk of people who are critically ill."
He said that the Health Ministry has also not put in measures to ensure that it prevents future difficulties, among them a reoccurrence of $3.5 billion of crippling debt and outstanding statutory deductions, which it had at the end of the year 2004. The Ministry of Finance provided $2.5 billion to cover outstanding statutory deductions for the period prior to 2004 to 2005, and other payments were made to reduce the initial $1 billion debt to suppliers.
"While they have paid off a backlog, they have not provided more to prevent another backlog so it will happen again in two or so years," he said.
Dr. Baugh was commenting on the lamentations of a young doctor in the Sunday Gleaner, September 18. The young doctor painted a bleak picture of conditions at public hospitals, among them the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) and Victoria Jubilee Hospital.
The medical intern spoke about issues such as over-crowded wards; shortages of some medical supplies and also of equipment such as CT scan and portable ultrasound; the need for new equipment and more CTG machines (which monitor mother's contractions and baby's heartbeats); continued cancellations of elective surgeries owing to trauma cases; long backlogs facing hospital diagnostic units; and the frustration caused by under-equipped laboratories.
FRUSTRATION THROUGHOUT
Dr. Trevor McCartney, KPH's senior medical officer, confirmed most of the young doctor's statements, stating that while basic supplies' levels had improved, KPH needs other items such as at least two other operating theatres. He said the hospital and other medical associations have been campaigning for a long time to get these problems fixed. Some issues were raised with the Health Ministry during a meeting as recently as two weeks ago, he said, adding that the ministry promised to address them.
"There is a certain degree of frustration among the medical staff as they feel themselves unable to offer optimal care to a significant number of patients because of the inadequacy in the diagnostic and support services," Dr. McCartney said.
