More time for parents: visiting policy at Bustamante hospital under review

Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton today indicated that the Ministry is considering changes to the visiting policy at the Bustamante Hospital for Children in St Andrew to allow parents to spend more time with their sick children.

Tufton, who on Thursday toured the overnight stay facility that is currently under construction at the hospital, said he was very sympathetic to the anguish parents experience when they are unable to tend to their ailing children.

The 30-bed facility is expected to be completed by September.

A petition launched last year by a parent advocating for 24-hour visiting hours at the children’s hospital has gathered more than 25,000 signatures.

“What we would need to do is to work out that protocol, which I have asked my team at the Ministry to look at. If not start fully, or certainly not start with a 24-hour cycle…start with a longer cycle than what is allowed in visitation hours,” he said.

However, he said that certain conditions would have to be established in order to facilitate this, such as space and sanitary conveniences.

“You want to ensure that patient care and the delivery are not impeded or affected by the presence of a family member,” he said.

“In the jurisdictions where it occurs, family members are allowed to do certain things that actually take the stress off the nurse who is on duty. They help to feed the patient, for example, they may even help to clean the patients…under certain guidelines,” he added.

Senior Medical Officer at Bustamante, Dr Michelle-Ann Richards-Dawson, said parents are currently able to stay overnight at the hospital in a facility on-site.

However, she noted that the demand exceeds its capacity.

There are only six rooms available, and parents pay $500 per night.

Parents who are from out of town are prioritised and provided with sheets, toiletries, and bathroom access.

She noted that hospitals globally are moving towards a family-centric environment, but for this to happen at Bustamante, the appropriate facilities need to be in place.

“We try to allow parents to stay as long as possible with children, but overnight is an issue because we don’t have space, otherwise, they are going to be on the outside, and that’s not necessarily safe,” she said.

- Sashana Small

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