Health Saga in Tobago

Dr. Maria Dillon-Remy 

The Director of Medicine on the Tobago Regional Health Authority Board, Dr Maria Dillon-Remy yesterday tendered her resignation from the board with immediate effect.

The T&T Guardian understands that Dillon-Remy cited personal reasons for her resignation. 

However, the decision comes on the heels of the announcement that three doctors had been suspended by the TRHA over their involvement in the c-section surgery and subsequent death of nursery school principal Rose Gordon 35, of Charlotteville. 

Dillon-Remy, a pediatrician, has been attached to the TRHA since 1997 and reportedly plans to return to her private practice.

Dillon-Remy was a part of a nine-member board which was given their instruments of appointment in March 2014. The life of the board was expected to last two years and was scheduled to be dissolved in March this year.

In November 2014, mere eight months after the board was constituted, the chairman, Trevor Craig, also resigned. 

At the time, Craig said the “dishonest” actions of the Secretary of Health and Social Services, Claudia Groome-Duke, prompted his resignation. 

His resignation came after a row over the payment of a $1,000 telephone allowance to the board members. 

Since then, deputy chair Lydia Peters has been acting as board chair.

With the loss of two board members, however, the TRHA board is now not properly constituted and can no longer function.

Efforts to contact Groome-Duke yesterday were unsuccessful as she did not answer her cellphone nor return messages.

Source:TrinidadGuardian

Doctors Suspended after Bothced Caesarean Section of Tobago Woman

ACTION TAKEN: In response to the botched caesarean section, New Years Maternal death of Rose Gordon, THREE doctors have been suspended from duty yesterday.

After several hours of deliberation, the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA) Board decided to suspend the three-member medical team involved in the C-section surgery and subsequent death of Rose Gordon, 35, of Charlotteville, Tobago.

The suspension comes on the heels of the Chief Secretary's assurance that no stone would be left unturned.

Gordon, former principal of the Charlotteville Nursery School, died on New Year's Day at the hospital following a second surgery to stop uncontrolled bleeding which started after the C-section via which she gave birth to a baby girl.

An investigation has been launched into the death. 

BAD START:Tobago Records 1st Maternal Death

Scarborough General Hospital 

The Tobago Regional Health Authority has come under heavy criticism once again as Tobago records its first Maternal Death for 2016. Dead is 35 year old Rose Gordon of Charlotteville, Tobago. 

It is being reported that lack of blood was a major problem during her C-section, the baby survived and is in the neonatal unit at the hospital. A Postmortem would be conducted on the body today to determine the actual cause of death.

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. 

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

Health Scare at New Tobago Hospital

Workers at the partially opened Scarborough Hospital complained about red bags and containers containing medical waste being piled up at the facility. Workers indicated that they were concerned as the incinerator would have shut down. This caused bags of waste to pile up in rooms at the hospital. Workers at the hospital said they were fearful since the bags of waste contained body parts and could be hazardous to workers, due to the number of plastic bags locked away in rooms at the new hospital

When the media contacted the CEO of the Tobago Regional Health Authority Paula Chester -Cumberbatch for a response on the matter, she indicated that the ATI CP- 30 Incinerator at the new hospital was non functional for one week and not two months. She also refuted claims of body parts in the red bags which were packed in rooms at the hospital. "That is far from the truth. In fact we have tried at the hospital to reduce amputations. In the past the number of amputations carried out were between 15-20 per month. To date the number is now approximately one per month," Cumberbatch said.

She further indicated that as a result of the Incinerator being down, medical waste was now being stored in a chilled room designed for such purpose. "Since the machine is under warranty, NIPDEC together with the contractor conducted the repair-works required which were completed yesterday (Thursday). The Incinerator Operators resumed burning-operations Friday morning," Cumberbatch said.

"We have also written to the Environment Management Agency to have another incinerator moved to the New Scarborough General Hospital, to ensure efficiency, and that sufficient mechanisms are in place, to avoid any reoccurrence," Cumberbatch said.

Meanwhile, the TRHA is looking at December 15th in its attempt to have the New Scarborough General hospital fully operational.