Drug, staff shortages major issue at Charity Hospital

… standards dropped significantly at facility – Dr Mahadeo

Medical supplies as well as staff shortages were some of the teething issues affecting the delivery of health care in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam). This was revealed during a Special Select Parliamentary Committee visit to Region Two on Friday. The team visited the Oscar Joseph Hospital at Charity.
According to Parliamentarians, Dr Vindhya Persaud and Vishwanath Mahadeo, it is believed there is a countrywide shortage of drugs and as such, their visit was to check on those health facilities in the far flung areas making sure that they deliver the kind of service they are expected to.

Dr Mahadeo however made it clear that the team’s visit was not to affect the performance of staff but to identify the issues affecting the delivery of health care in the region.
He said that the Charity Oscar Joseph Hospital has lost its standard significantly and recalled in the 90s, persons from as far as Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) would visit that facility to access the services.

According to the Ward Sister Dame Hercules, the hospital is solely dependent on the Suddie Public Hospital for adequate distribution of pharmaceutical supplies. However, she added that she has since learnt that some of the bond shelves at the Suddie Hospital have been empty for the past three months. Hercules therefore said that there are some 45 medical items that are out of stock. Among these are 12 types of injections, Tamoxifen, Cortem, Vitamin E, and Vitamin C 500 mg.
She also decried that the hospital has not been receiving medical supplies on time and most time doctors are forced to prescribe drugs for patients to purchase from private pharmacies.
Hercules also lamented that due to the lack of resources, the hospital would usually transfer patients to Suddie for treatment and further examinations.
She also said the hospital is not equipped with trained staff and most times, patients are sent to Suddie whenever they are admitted with fractures.
The hospital’s Administrator, Omkar Persaud, made a special request for trained and specialised staff at the hospital. The team was told that the hospital does not perform surgeries of any kind at the moment since there are no trained personnel to do so.
Dr Vindhya Persaud said recommendations have been made to send doctors to train in Georgetown.
Residents living in the Pomeroon and Charity areas solely depend on the Charity Hospital for medical attention. When patients arrive at the hospital, they are often told that supplies are unavailable.
The dispensaries currently have shortages of drugs since these are issued to the hospital in small quantities. Patients travelling from the Pomeroon to the Charity Hospital usually travel twice a month to get their medication. The hospital however has been making special provisions for persons living in that area by requesting medication for them. Pharmacists at Suddie said the medical facility received emergency supplies that would last for only two weeks. Additionally, the limited medication at the Oscar Joseph Hospital bond is expected to last for the next two weeks.
The Charity Oscar Joseph Hospital is presently serving some sections of Region One (Barima-Waini), the Pomeroon and sections of Region Two.