The state of the Region Six healthcare system came under scrutiny by Dr Vishwa Mahadeo during Tuesday’s evening’s budget debate, with the PPP/C MP calling out problems such as the overflow of sewage into the wards and non-functioning theatres and equipment.
“If it is true then we will correct it. If not, I’ll think he’s just being malicious,” Minister of Public Health Dr George Norton stated in relation to Dr Mahadeo’s claims. The Minister also expressed that given the relationship he shares with the heads of those institutions, he believes that if such were the state of the facilities, this would have been communicated to him.
Mahadeo related that former Region Six Regional Executive Officer, Dr. Veerasammy Ramayya had carried out visits in the region, following complaints of shoddy work occurring in the healthcare institutions, as it was within his purview to verify the claims.
The bulk of Mahadeo’s complaints were aimed at the New Amsterdam hospital, the main theatre of which he said has been out of order for approximately six months. He reported a backflow of sewage into the maternity ward and other departments for the past six months, and added that the incinerator, which serves the entire Region Six, has not functioned for this entire year.
Also listed were the doctors’ inability to conduct general tests because equipment was not working (thus forcing them to send patients to private hospitals to do the tests), lack of oxygen at the institution, no flowing water, no fuel for the generator and no access to water at times.
“…the previous weekend, some of my students called me from the institution asking me what to do because there was no water in the institution. They took a patient to the accident and emergency, and they were asked to go and buy a 5 gallon bottle of water and bring it,” Mahadeo said.
“Quite often there is no oxygen in the institution. Imagine sir, an institution with theatre, labour ward, intensive care unit, neonatal intensive care unit—no oxygen, sir. The central oxygen system has not been working for the whole of 2016.”
In relation to the Skeldon Hospital, Mahadeo reported that none of the four incubators are functioning, nor the CG machine. He stated that the ICU and the theatre are also not operational.
“These are all management problems,” the doctor commented, taking jabs at the administration of these institutions. Mahadeo had earlier opined that the heads of these agencies had been handpicked by the government to fit these roles and were not necessarily qualified for the positions.
“Mr Speaker, who are now the heads of agencies? Who are now the heads of departments? Who are now the PSs? Who are now the CEOs and directors? They are all handpicked by this same government, most of them not for their abilities, but as payment for services rendered by this…government…It is the handpicked, mostly unqualified heads of programmes, departments and agencies that do not provide the necessary guidance and leadership. In fact, they don’t have the capacity to do so, they are to blame,” Mahadeo opined.
“Do you know Mr Speaker that Region Six does not have an RHO [Regional Health Officer]? They don’t have an RHO, sir. This government wanted to appoint a specific person to head services in the region. That individual has no qualifications related to health, no qualifications related to management, so by no stretch of the imagination they could fit the JD [job description] of the RHO.”
