Sheena Gayle, Freelance Writer

The Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay. - file

WESTERN BUREAU:

The Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH) in St James has increased its staff in the Accident and Emergency Department (A&E) in order to accommodate additional patients as of today.

The increase, according to Everton Anderson, the chief executive officer at CRH, was necessary in order to strengthen the A&E department to provide efficient and timely service to patients.

"We have increased security and patient representatives and we have done additional training for present staff members to assist in the A&E department, which will provide more administrative and staff support in this area," he explained.

Anderson noted that both day and evening shifts will see five to six doctors and an average of three nurses stationed daily in the A&E section.

However, the CRH will have to wait to receive additional funds and equipment from the Ministry of Health according to the hospital's CEO.

While the facility is mandated to provide quality service to its patients, Anderson appealed to the public to work with the staff in order to maximise on the services offered during this change.

When The Gleaner visited the hospital on March 20 during the day shift, minor expansions to the A&E department were noticeable. An electronic ticketing system was in place where patients, who were screened by a doctor before, received a numbered ticket.

One patient, who took two hours from registration to the administration of treatment to complete the hospital visit, simply said: "I am satisfied with the service I got."

But according to one female patient, who did not wish to be named, her experience with a male doctor (on the evening shift) was far from memorable.

Treated like aliens

"Some of the doctors treat us patients like we are aliens by the way they deal with our medical issues and I think it's because we are paying only $350 for their medical service. So I can just imagine how they will deal with some of us next month (today) when health fees are removed," she stated.

A doctor at CRH revealed that the patient overload becomes stressful at times and repeatedly said that "only God understands" what they have to deal with on a daily basis.

The doctor said that as of today, those patients with non-emergency cases will be referred to their respective health centres.

The CRH serves residents of western Jamaica, many of whom are minimum wage earners and middle-class professionals; however, persons as far away as St Mary and Manchester use the medical facility."