Scarborough Hospital Radiology Department Dysfunctional

Several workers from the Radiology Department of the Scarborough General Hospital, who were given suspension letters by the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA are now in limbo about their situation. One of the workers contacted Tobago News about their plight last week claiming that following protest action by the workers over a number of health and safety issues at Radiology Department of the old hospital at the Fort, the THRA suspended three of the workers.

“It is over six months now since we were suspended, yet we have not heard again from the TRHA about when our matters would be dealt with,” related the worker. No tribunal has been set up by the TRHA to investigate our cases,” added the worker. The worker pointed out that since the relocation of the hospital from the Fort to the new hospital at Signal Hill the new Radiology Department has been plagued with a number of serious issues. “There is no printer for the X-rays, so the hospital has been outsourcing this service to the Calder Hall Medical Center,” charged the worker. Just recently, a Senior Radiologist resigned from the department. This could have a very serious effect on the quality of service as junior staff needs supervision there,” declared the source. Tobago News received a distressed call from a patient recently, who complaining bitterly about doing an internal ultra sound at the new hospital. 

When I took the report to the doctor, it was rejected,” she cried. Can you imagine how it feels to go through a process like that for nothing? It is as if my body was violated as the procedure is an invasive one,” declared the aggrieved patient. Tobago News contacted a medical doctor at the hospital, who confirmed the action. The medic insisted that protocols demanded that junior staff doing such procedures must be under the supervision of a senior officer. “Sadly, the whole radiology department is dysfunctional,” declared the source. 

Contacted on these issues last Tuesday, Secretary of Health and Social Services Claudia Groome-Duke assured that all human resource matters would be discussed next week Thursday. “I will be out of the country from May 3 to 7, so on my return I will be dealing with these issues,” she stated.

Source:Thetobagonews

Forget prayer, let’s work

Scarborough Hospital

A critical shortage of office space has been given as the reason behind a decision by General Manager (GM) for Organizational Effectiveness John Solomon to move to an area that had been designated as a chapel at the new Scarborough General Hospital in Signal Hill. Tobago. News received reports that Solomon had begun to install his office equipment in the chapel last Tuesday, creating quite a buzz among hospital workers. A well-placed source contended that medical and supporting staff face several teething problems including that of some serious space constraints, as they grapple with bringing the spanking new hospital into full operation.

The Chapel was incorporated into the plan for the hospital to provide relatives and friends of patients at the hospital an opportunity to pray for the recovery of the sick. It’s a concept that also obtains at several leading hospitals in the United States and other developed countries. Tobago News understands that one church organisation which requested to do regular prayer sessions at the chapel during the Lenten season must was also denied the opportunity.

The source also refuted claims made by a recent press release from the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA) that the hospital kitchen was now fully operational. “The kitchen is not yet up and running and we still have to transport food from the old kitchen at the fort to the new hospital,” the source insisted. Both the hot water system and the carbon dioxide system are not working,” added the source. This had been the situation from day one. The only way to fix is to shut down the system for 24 hours to allow for solvent mending of the lines. They cannot do that so the lines just keep bursting as they try to mend,” the source revealed. The new hospital became fully operational last December after a construction period of over 12 years and a whooping cost of over $750 million.

The TRHA was asked to comment on the issue. However, up to press time, there was no response from the agency tasked with managing the island’s only hospital.

Source:TobagoNews

No Hot Water at New Scarborough Hospital

Image of the front of the New Scarborough Hospital

Patients at the new Scarborough Hospital are being asked to shower with cold water since no hot water is available in the wards. A patient at the maternity ward contacted Tobago News last week Friday and informed this newspaper that only cold–water baths are possible at the facility. “I am accustomed bathing with luke-warm water; it was tough for me to bathe with the cold water, this is unacceptable after millions of dollars were spent,” the new mother stated.

Tobago News understands that the situation is one that has been plaguing the new facility for some time now. “I would like the TRHA and the Division of Health to explain why this situation exists and why it is taking so long to be rectified,” she cried.

The Tobago News reached out to the Secretary of Health and Social Services Claudia Groome-Duke and informed her of our knowledge of the no-hot-water issue. The Secretary directed us to the Tobago Regional Health Authority Board, the autonomous body responsible for the operations of the hospital.

On Thursday, Chairman of the Board Jennifer Brown and Chief Executive Officer Paula Cumberbatch of TRHA were contacted on the matter. Brown responded to our calls later in the evening. She did not confirm or deny if there was indeed an issue with the hot water at the hospital and wondered who our sources were. The chairman asked that this newspaper contact TRHA by email for a response.

In response to our query, the THRA sent a press release indicating that due to an issue detected in the plumbing system, the wards at the Scarborough General Hospital are without hot water. “However, demands for hot water on the wards are being met. NIPDEC is urgently working to address the issue. We would like to note that the Scarborough General Hospital is still under the Defects Liability Period and as such NIPDEC has full responsibility to address any teething issues that may occur in the new facility,” the release stated.

The release did not state how soon the situation would be rectified or if the problem is restricted to wards or the entire hospital.

Meanwhile, the TRHA also stated in its release that the hospital kitchen is now fully functional. “All patient meals are now prepared at the Scarborough General Hospital’s kitchen by our dietary staff. The installation of new equipment continues, to bring the kitchen to its full capacity,” the release indicated.

Source:thetobagonews

1st Patient Flown from New Scarborough Hospital

Operation Nightingale was a success. All 57 patients  were transferred from the old Scarborough Regional Hospital to the New Scarborough Hospital. The Tobago Regional Health Authority spare headed the massive exercise. 

However, in-spite of the assurances that full services would be accessible in the neonatal department, four operating theatres, medical imaging, rehabilitation and 19 specialty services a patient had to be air lifted to the Port of Spain General Hospital. In addition there were allegations that some patients were discharged from the old Hospital before the transfer despite of complaining of being unwell. 

The 100-bed hospital at Signal Hill was handed over to the Division of Health and Social Services two weeks ago. At last Thursday's media briefing, Health Secretary Claudia Groome-Duke had announced that the new hospital would be fully operational by December 15.

At the new Hospital,  there is improved security services such as an electronic locking system and baby monitors and an improved customer service. 

There was also the addition of Eighteen new house officers, a variety of specialists and 50 nurses to the medical staff that served the old hospital. 

First baby born in new Scarborough Hospital

historic birth: Paula Chester-Cumberbatch, left, CEO of the Tobago Regional Health Authority,
 and Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Health Secretary Claudia Groome- Duke, second from left,
present Akeisha Victor, right,
 with a hamper following the birth of her baby girl at the Scarborough General Hospital yesterday.
 Looking on is nurse Maureen George-Samuel, second from right,
 and proud father Anslem George.
Victor was the first mother to give birth at the institution which was fully opened yesterday.
 —Photo: ELIZABETH WILLIAMS

An early Christmas present to the people of Tobago came yesterday as the Scarborough General Hospital was opened and is now fully operational.

Nine years and nine months after the sod was turned to start construction of the 100-bed hospital at Signal Hill, the facility was fully functional yesterday.

In an exercise called "Operation Nightingale", 57 patients were moved via ambulance convoy, with blaring sirens and police escorts, from the old Scarborough Regional Hospital at Fort King George, two miles away, to the new $750 million medical institution yesterday.

The first patients to arrive at the institution at 8.43 a.m. were six children who were admitted to the paediatric ward.

This was followed by the admittance of seven patients to the surgical ward, ten to the maternity ward, eight to the medical ward and 26 to the accident and emergency department.

Full services were available at 8 a.m in the neonatal department, four operating theatres, medical imaging, rehabilitation and 19 specialty services.

It also included improved security services such as an electronic locking system and baby monitors, and an improved customer service.

Eighteen new house officers, a variety of specialists and 50 nurses were added to the medical staff that served the old hospital.

The financing, construction and equipping of the hospital was the responsibility of the Central Government, with the Ministry of Health as the client.

Vissyer Providence, the mother of ten-year-old patient Jabari Phillips, said she was happy the hospital was finally open.

"They kept to their promise; they said they would move positive on the 15th, and really, they did so with a smooth transition, and I notice the nurses; they did well to put the patients together. It was very good."

Health Secretary Claudia Groome-Duke said the day was historic for Tobago and the country.

"I have seen the very first patients being removed from the Scarborough Regional Hospital to the Scarborough General Hospital, and I've also welcomed these patients to this Scarborough General Hospital," Groome-Duke said.

The first baby was also born yesterday at the hospital.

Akeisha Victor of Calder Hall, Tobago, gave birth to her third child, a bouncing baby girl, around 12.30 p.m.

The sod for the institution was turned in February 2003 by then minister of planning Dr Keith Rowley, then minister of health Colm Imbert and Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Orville London.

It was originally estimated to cost $135 million.

However, there were several delays in construction, and the project was stopped in 2006 after a dispute between the project managers and the main contractor, NH International (Caribbean Ltd).

Construction restarted under a new contractor, China Railway Construction Ltd, in 2010, which was contracted to construct the buildings and supply equipment.

Reproduced from Trinidad Express

MASS PATIENT MOVE IN TOBAGO

The Tobago Regional Health Authority will this weekend embark on a massive exercise to transfer all patients currently housed at the Scarborough Regional Hospital, Fort King George to the new Scarborough General Hospital at Signal Hill.

The 100-bed hospital at Signal Hill was handed over to the Division of Health and Social Services two weeks ago. At last Thursday's media briefing, Health Secretary Claudia Groome-Duke had announced that the new hospital would be fully operational by December 15.

In a media release issued on Friday, the Tobago Regional Authority announced the Inter-facility Transfer of Patients from Scarborough Regional Hospital to Scarborough General Hospital. This transfer of patients is scheduled for Saturday from 8 a.m. and is expected to last throughout the day.

According to the release, all patients and their families will be notified in writing of the specifics of the transfer. Pre identified family members will be notified of the status of each patient before and after the transfer. Patients will be transported via ambulance service by their respective wards. Nurses, and where necessary, physicians will accompany patients during the transfer.

To facilitate the transfer, visiting hours will be suspended on Saturday. Emergency room services will commence at the Scarborough General Hospital (Signal Hill) at 6 am on Saturday and all emergencies would be received at the Scarborough General Hospital (Signal Hill).

Operating Room and Pharmacy services will also commence at the Scarborough General Hospital on Saturday.

The controversial facility which cost taxpayers some $700 million has come under much scrutiny over the extended construction period and more recently, the delay in opening.

Questions have also been raised about the readiness of the facility for a full-fledged opening given that some of the equipment was still being tested and the uncertainty of the functioning of the incinerator. Several doctors told Tobago News that they are yet to be properly notified by the Chief Medical Officer of the transfer.

The transfer of patients would involve the police service and there is expected to be some disruption to the flow of traffic.

Reproduced from TobagoNews

Scarborough Hospital to Open In Time for Christmas

Scarborough Hospital

Tobagonians will get their new hospital for Christmas.

THA Chief Secretary Orville London announced to the media on Wednesday (14th November 2012) that the Scarborough General Hospital at Signal Hill will become fully operational by mid December.

He said this will be done once State-owned National Insurance Property Development Company Limited (Nipdec) was able to hand over the 100-bed institution to the Ministry of Health and then to the Assembly as it promised by the end of this month. The hospital was constructed by China Railway Construction Company Limited.

Speaking at the weekly post Executive Council media briefing London said the last phase of the operationalisation process was the transfer of hospitalised patients from the old Scarborough General Hospital at Fort King George to the new institution.

He said Health and Social Services Secretary Assemblyman Claudia Groome-Duke reported to the weekly Executive Council meeting earlier in the day that "to a certain extent her Division had been stymied by the way in which the hospital had been handed over".

He added: "There have been areas of concern and I think that this has frustrated the process."

London said the people of Tobago and of Trinidad and Tobago must not forget that the responsibility for the construction of the hospital was the Ministry of Health, which represented the Central Government. "It means therefore that Tobago House of Assembly had the responsibility to operationalise the delivery of services after it had been handed over, so that they have to work hand in hand.

He added that there has been a significant level of collaboration and complimented both the Division and the Ministry for that.

He said the Secretary had given the Executive Council the assurance that basically the recruitment process and the maintenance and training of staff have has been going on reasonable well.

The day before the official commissioning of the first phase of operations at the hospital on April 4, two injured children had CT scans done on the new equipment.

When fully operational the hospital will provide jobs for 1559 persons, 384 more than that at the Scarborough Regional Hospital at Fort King George.

Reproduced from THA site.