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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com Bahamian Politics
By The Progressive Liberal Party Another FNM Minister of Health Dr Hubert Minnis asleep at the wheel Conditions at Dialysis Unit at Princess Margaret Hospital are deplorable July 6th 2010 Information has come to the Progressive Liberal Party’s attention that the Ministry of Health via the Hospital Authority has allowed major deterioration at the Ddialysis Unit at PMH, putting the welfare of its patients in jeopardy. These conditions include the following: The air-conditioning system until very recently was not working and was just recently partially restored and conditions are still at unacceptable standards for patients and staff at the unit. We are informed that dialysis procedures are to be conducted in a comfortable environment. We also understand that the quality of the patient's life while in the hospital setting is important and hence the quality of the hospital environment is equally important. How can Minister Dr Hubert Minnis justify allowing this crisis to develop and the present conditions to exist at PMH? We are informed that some patients are not receiving full and quality treatment as there is no consistent or proper maintenance of the Water System and the Bicarbonate System, both of which breakdown frequently. Sources disclose that the roof in the Dialysis Unit is leaking, there are holes in the ceiling and renovations are being carried out while patients are being dialyzed. These are highly undesirable conditions and practices that could lead to contamination of the environment and infections to the patients. Reports of the number of deaths by patients on dialysis have escalated over the past two years and this phenomenon raises justifiable cause for very serious concern. Further, an important drug, Recormon, is said to be unavailable on a regular basis. This critical drug is used to treat anaemia caused by Kidney disease; Recormon does so by stimulating the production of Red Blood Cells. This too is a highly undesirable situation at the PMH and must be corrected with great urgency. We are also informed that there is a shortage of trained nurses which negatively impacts the delivery of quality health services at the PMH. Morale of the staff is low and the quality of training provided by the highly paid Expat training officer at the dialysis unit is of serious concern. Are the current conditions at the Dialysis Unit typical of the results being delivered under the leadership of the Minister of Health Dr Hubert Minnis who seems to think that he should be congratulated for the so called “excellent” job he is doing as Minister? In the public interest, the PLP will continue to follow up on these unacceptable conditions at the Dialysis Unit until these vexing health issues are satisfactorily resolved.
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