Ticked off by long wait at hospital

 Dave Lindo, Gleaner Writer

Persons visiting the Mandeville Regional Hospital have expressed concerns about the quality service delivered at the Accident and Emergency and the Out Patient departments, primarily about the hassle to get registered and the lengthy wait before being seen by the medical staff.

A woman in her late 60s, in speaking to The Gleaner on March 11, said she arrived at the hospital at 6:30 a.m., and after registering, she didn't get to see the doctor until minutes after 10 a.m.

Her daughter, who accompanied her, was dissatisfied with the long wait.

"I don't see why people have to wait so long," she said. "Some of these people here are very sick, and it's cruel for them to have to wait so long to see the doctor."

When The Gleaner team arrived at the hospital at 10 a.m., the Out Patient waiting area was almost full to capacity. Many of the people waiting to get medical attention said they got there as early as 7 a.m., or near to that time.

By the numbers present, it was evident that the wait for some would go way into late evening.

POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE

Another concern expressed by persons at the hospital was the alleged poor attitude of the staff during the registration process.

Trisha Barnaby accompanied her nephew to the hospital after he had experienced a bout of epilepsy.

She was angered by the service at the registration area.

"The registration department needs shaking up. You will just stand there and no one attends to you. It's pure attitude them give people," she said.

"Most of them are like that. They don't know how to talk to people, and take their time in attending to people. So it takes a long time to get registered and you have to wait an even longer time to see a doctor."