Residents of Linden and surrounding communities of Region Ten have started accessing out-patient care at the new $1.8 billion Linden Hospital Complex at Mackenzie.
Although they still await the official opening of the entire facility, the hospital administration took a decision to open the out-patient unit to the general public from Monday after staff spent over two months testing the facility. An overseas medical outreach team also utilised the facility recently, treating approximately 200 patients daily for nine days.
In July, Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy was on hand to witness the official handing over of several sections, include the male and female wards, rehabilitation rooms, the pharmacy and laboratory. At the time, he said he was pleased with the work done by the contracting firm R. Bassoo and Sons with funding from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
“From designing to construction, the new hospital is now ready to be operationalised,” he had said, adding, “I am expecting that all the services that deal with out-patients, accident and emergency, the laboratory, radiology to pharmacy would be operationalised this month.” He also said that because the operating theatres would have to go through a sterilisation process, they would be among the last to be made functional.
The hospital’s management was confident that by August 1, 2009 the hospital would have been functional and would be officially commissioned this month. A number of unforeseen problems are responsible for the delay.
A visit to the facility on Monday saw residents accessing most of the out-patient services. Many expressed satisfaction with the service and the arrangement of the facility, while others said that the administration needed to put more effort into the coordination. They said that members of staff were very cooperative in giving directions to the various departments. “Patients deserve this kind of facility here. It’s been a very long wait for this hospital to open and now, despite is only downstairs working, we glad because we can see that progress is taking place and the management is doing their best to push the official opening,” said one patient.
Another said that the security guards, who were tasked with the responsibility of directing persons to the various areas, were not well organised. “I went there today just to remove some stitches and one guard gave me one direction then another sent me to a different area and until now I can’t find my way,” said a young man. He said he came across two doctors while on the search but still was not given accurate directions. “I decided that I would go to the old hospital later this afternoon when they close off at the new hospital…,” he added.
The procedure used in accessing the medical services included collecting a number tag from the security guard, who would direct patients to the receptionist who would then direct them to the records office. The records office would deal with patients in batches of five to ten, after which they would be directed the respective doctor areas.
The out-patient unit will run from 8 am to 4:30 pm at the new facility. However care would continue beyond those hours at the old hospital, which is still responsible for in-patient care.
The official opening of the new facility is slated for some time next month.
