Patient surge swamps UHWI

Jamaica’s primary regional referral facility, the 579-bed University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), is urging members of the public to seek alternative care as a massive influx of patients overwhelms its emergency services.

The hospital, in a release yesterday, advised the public that it was “currently experiencing patient volumes beyond its normal capacity”.

The hospital cautioned that patients presenting to the St Andrew-based institution “should expect longer-than-usual waiting times, particularly those with conditions assessed as less urgent. Patients will continue to be prioritised based on the severity of their condition, with the most critically ill receiving immediate attention”.

Accident and emergency (A&E) departments typically operate under a triage system, a structured medical process that allows healthcare professionals to quickly identify critically ill or injured patients who need immediate, life-saving care.

Gleaner sources also state that the situation is compounded by the number of very sick people who need to be admitted to hospital amid limited ward space.

Efforts to reach the hospital’s management have so far been unsuccessful.

The hospital treats as emergency cases persons with severe trauma resulting from motor vehicle crashes or violent crime, those experiencing symptoms of a heart attack or stroke, acute respiratory distress, and surgical emergencies.

The UHWI, in its release, maintained that the A&E Department remains operational and that the hospital’s medical, nursing and support teams are continuing to attend to patients requiring emergency care.

It also urged patients with non-emergency conditions to consider accessing their nearest health centre or primary care provider.

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