Mere weeks after the Regional Democratic Council of Region Six was informed that there is a shortage of doctors, nurses and even medication at the Skeldon Public Hospital, a relative of a patient has stepped forward detailing their concerns and disappointment regarding the “appalling” conditions at the institution.
Jan Khan in a letter to the Stabroek News explained, “My sister was a bed-ridden critical-care patient at this hospital and my siblings and I visited her for one week at the end of July to the beginning August 2023. She would eventually die at this institution on August 23rd, For the sake of the downtrodden in Skeldon, I believe it is my responsibility to bring the following issues to the attention of the public in the hope of prompt and effective resolution.”
Pointing out that the Skeldon Hospital has been an essential healthcare institution serving the residents of the region for many years, Khan said that the current state of the hospital is nothing short of “deplorable, and the deteriorating conditions are causing immense suffering and endangering the lives of the patients who depend on its services.”
According to the letter writer, some of the issues they witnessed and experienced include a shortage of doctors and nurses, poor doctor communication/attitude, atrocious patient care, no dignity for patients, poor sanitation, lack of proper patient conveyance, lack of equipment and supplies, lack of potable water and fear of victimization.
Touching on the shortage of doctors and nurses, Khan said it is seemingly one of the most pressing issues at the Skeldon Hospital with patients often having to wait for extended periods to receive medical attention, leading to worsening conditions and increased suffering. “On many occasions there was one nurse servicing the emergency unit and the wards, and also in the evenings a single nurse ran the entire hospital.”
“The doctors at Skeldon hospital need to be properly trained in communicating with patients’ relatives. I saw the doctor in charge behave as though he was Lord of the domain, and failed to provide proper answers on being asked about various issues with my sister. When asked questions he complained about being harassed. Additionally, one of the doctors was literally hiding from my relatives,” the letter stated. Furthermore, Khan stated, that the hospital seems to face a chronic shortage of essential medical supplies and equipment as they were asked to purchase their own medical supplies, including feeding bags and gauze.
“The responsibility for the day-to-day personal care of my sister fell on my relatives. The nurses refused to undertake this task and the doctor said it’s not their responsibility. Each morning while I was there, we found my sister lying in her urine and excrement.
She had to be cleaned and changed by female relatives. My sister’s feeding tube had to flushed/cleaned by relatives. The female ward is devoid of privacy. There are no curtains around the beds. To take care of my sister, relatives had to hold up bedsheets around her bed to provide privacy. Same was applicable to other female patients in the ward.”
Adding that a letter has been sent to the Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony, Khan called on him to conduct a thorough investigation into the management and oversight of Skeldon Hospital so as to identify the root causes of the problems and hold those responsible accountable. “I look forward to seeing prompt and tangible improvements in the conditions at Skeldon Hospital.”
Efforts by Stabroek News to contact the Director of the Regional Health Services, Dr. Vishalya Sharma yesterday for a comment on the situation at the hospital proved futile.
Statutory
At the statutory meeting of the Regional Democratic Council of Region Six this month, APNU councillor, Shurla Scott also reported a shortage of doctors, nurses, and even medication at the Skeldon Public Hospital after having a first-hand experience at the facility.
She relayed, “The first thing I noticed is that there was no medical supervision there in the night at Skeldon Hospital… I remember standing here enquiring about Skeldon Hospital as it relates to staffing and this council was informed that there was enough staffing at Skeldon Hospital especially with the doctors.”
Scott said, that she was present at the hospital for four days for visiting hours, “And I saw two Guyanese doctors for those four days consecutively and two Cuban doctors… The very patient was prepped to be transferred because there was no supervision.”
According to Scott, there was also a recommendation in the patient’s chart to have an ultrasound done but it was day four and this had still not been carried out.
She said that on enquiring with the sister in charge at the hospital she was told that she was “frustrated because nothing is being done, all of the reports that is coming from Skeldon to the region is falling on deaf ears…Shortages of staff, nurses, shortages of doctors, medication… And for that very patient was expected to have medication at 6 am, I was there, and the patient received her medication until 9 am because I intervened that patient was transferred.”
Prepped
Scott said although the patient was prepped and awaiting transfer this was done only four hours later despite the ambulance being present at the institution.
“When I enquired why I was told the doctor was on lunch, I was told the doctor has to eat, of course I agree with that but this is one doctor that has been working since the morning… I was told that the Cuban doctors have limited medical functioning because there are certain things they can’t do… They can’t send charts, they can’t write up X, they can’t do Y”, she said.
Scott said that she was finally able to meet with the doctor responsible for the patient around 2:30 pm. He “was literally walking around with a resignation so I proceeded to speak to the doctor as well, it was the very thing I received from the sister in charge… Nurses are not around, no nurses in the night, ten-day (part-time) workers are supervising wards, there is one nurse running the emergency female and the male wards, that is the reality on the ground Chair.”
The Regional Councillor questioned how a hospital that services such a large area can be “run” in such a manner. Scott said that it was relayed to her by staff that they were told by those at the regional authority that the doctors at the location are “enough.”
Meanwhile, a 22-year-old paralyzed girl died earlier this month after suffering a heart attack, and relatives believe that the New Amsterdam Hospital could have a played better role in offering care to the young woman when she and her mother visited.
Shameeza Khan of Lot 7 West Canefield, East Canje Berbice, the aunt of the deceased Farzana Khan, 22, said that on Saturday, September, 2, around 9 a.m. she took Farzana to the hospital after she began feeling ill.
Shameeza who has taken care of her paralyzed niece for the last decade, said, “She take in Saturday and I took her to the New Amsterdam Hospital and when we went there, there was no doctors at the outpatient and we had to wait for over two hours.”
According to the woman, although it was an “emergency” they had to wait their turn to meet with a doctor. “There was no doctor working at the outpatient, a doctor from emergency come out and end up see us”, she related.
However, after they were able to meet with a doctor several tests were ordered for Farzana who at that time had a heartbeat of 151. “When we walk go the lab it was open but the guy there turn us back and said come back Monday.”
She continued, “He come out and I show him the paper and he ask me if she was getting pain and I said yes and he say he can’t do the test now let I come back Monday morning.”
Shameeza said that on Sunday evening Farzana fell into a coma-like state after which she was rushed to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital where she succumbed.
A post-mortem examination revealed that the young lady died from a heart attack.
Stabroek News was told that a team from the Ministry of Health had carried out an investigation into the matter, and Regional Chairman, David Armogan recently said that the council was awaiting the report from that investigation.
Meanwhile, at the council’s meeting this month, Scott also reported that relatives of another individual reported to her that on Saturday, September, 2, they too had visited the New Amsterdam Public Hospital “and didn’t get no attention crying out for heavy chest pain, this is a second case, the very day however when a call was made to the RHO five minutes after the very patient was attended to.”
Stabroek News was also told of this situation and that the patient visited the institution to have their pressure tested and was only able to meet with a doctor two hours later despite there not being a long line of persons.
However, it was only after the relatives made contact with the Regional Health Officer that the patient was attended too, as such Scott had questioned, “Should patients in Region Six keep calling the RHO? Because that is the only thing that made the difference from this patient being attended to to every other case across the region.”
