Dawes calls for new hospital in Westmoreland
... blames overcrowding at Sav facility on health, local government ministries
Published:Monday | February 17, 2025 | 9:59 AMAlbert Ferguson/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Opposition Spokesman on Health Dr Alfred Dawes believes there is an urgent need for a new hospital in Westmoreland, noting that overcrowding at health facilities across the parish is putting a severe strain on resources and impacting the delivery of quality healthcare.
Dawes, who served as the chief medical officer at the Savanna-la-Mar General Hospital between 2016 and 2019, was speaking after a tour of several health facilities in Westmoreland on Monday.
“Overcrowding is a major challenge here,” he said, pointing to the state of the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital’s emergency department.
“I see that there is nothing short of a new building that is going to solve this problem, and the Government and the Ministry of Health need to prioritise the funding for this building immediately,” said Dawes.
“The people of Westmoreland deserve better, and they have to have a functional hospital,” he added, further emphasising that the overcrowding is straining the staff and putting the overall healthcare delivery at risk.
The overcrowding issue is compounded by the shortage of space for social patients – those left abandoned by relatives at health facilities or those who are fit to be discharged but have nowhere to go. These patients are occupying critical bed spaces, which exacerbates the burden on the hospital’s emergency and treatment areas.
CONDITIONS WORSENED
Dawes, who said he was quite familiar with the challenges at the hospital, surmised that they have worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic, noting the rising incidence of chronic illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension.
“When we speak about overcrowding, we tend to look at, specifically, the Ministry of Health and say that we need more beds, but we need to look at the Ministry of Local Government as well because they are supposed to provide infirmary beds for a lot of these patients to move out and they are not fulfilling their part of the bargain,” said Dawes.
“At last count, more than 20 patients, classified as social cases, were occupying bed spaces at the hospital, forcing upwards of 80 people in need of a bed to be crammed into the accident and emergency ward or left languishing in wheelchairs and on benches for as long as three days,” he added. “So, whereas we are calling on the Ministry of Health to expand the infrastructure, I am also calling out the Ministry of Local Government and Minister Desmond McKenzie. What are you doing to alleviate the burdens of ‘boarders’ at the hospital taking up bed spaces?”
The situation seemed to improve temporarily in 2023 with the opening of a new male ward at the Westmoreland Infirmary, which was designed to house up to 50 residents. However, while eight social patients were relocated to the new ward, there still isn’t enough space to accommodate all those in need.
Mayor of Savanna-la-Mar Danree Delancy explained that the new male ward could only take in a small portion of the patients, leaving the hospital to care for 22 additional social cases. Delancy also pointed out that the number of available spaces at the infirmary is limited, as new spaces only open when a resident dies.
In 2018, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton told The Gleaner that plans were afoot to refurbish an abandoned building on the grounds of the Westmoreland Infirmary to house some 20 social patients.
“A number of years have passed since that time and the pledge from the minister remains just that. Nothing forthcoming,” said Delancy. “As it is now, the ball is in the Ministry of Health’s court to do something, to pick up where they left off in terms of the renovation of the building … . We at the WMC (Westmoreland Municipal Corporation) are more than willing to accommodate these persons once space is provided.”
Former Westmoreland Central Member of Parliament Dwayne Vaz, who is eyeing a return to the House, echoed the need for a new hospital in the parish capital.
“Our priority is to concentrate on these health centres, ensuring they all offer relevant services. This will reduce the number of patients flocking to the hospital,” said Vaz, who wants to see improved services at the health centres in Cornwall Mountain, Petersfield, and Savanna-la-Mar to take some of the strain off the hospital until a new facility can be built.