CRH clinics struggling with heat as AC woes persist

Staff and patients at the temporary outpatient facility housing Cornwall Regional Hospital ( CRH ) clinics in St James are struggling to cope with sweltering heat following a major breakdown of the central air-conditioning system.

With summer heat intensifying, patients are being triaged more tightly and numbers restricted inside the facility to manage the discomfort, while fans serve as stopgap measures in a setting that typically sees up to 500 patients a day.

Dr Delroy Fray, clinical coordinator for the Western Regional Health Authority, has acknowledged efforts to replace the unit, stressing that the process must move faster to avoid worsening conditions.

“We have ordered a new unit from the hospital side to place there but you know how government issue goes; you have to go through some procurement issues, which we are accelerating,” Fray said on Wednesday. “It affects the staff. We come early in the morning when it’s cool and try to get off the bulk of the work.”

He had earlier warned in a June 30 interview that the heat had already made working conditions “not tolerable” after midday, adding, “I don’t want to go into July, August, when it gets really hot with that situation. I can’t afford that.”

The clinics operate out of a conference centre at a property owned by the West Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Cornwall Regional is undergoing major refurbishment, displacing its operations.

Patients have not hidden their displeasure with the state of affairs. A Westmoreland man who said he’s treating a prostate condition said he has had to visit the clinic twice before getting to see the doctor in late June.

“A Negril mi a come from and mi pay mi fare two times from Negril fi come deh so. All mi can hear seh is AC nah work, mi haffi guh back home. A so come mi come back yah today. AC nah work, dem just call you in, give yuh another day and yuh guh home,” said the 65-year-old who did not want to be named.

Another patient noted that while it took her just over four hours to see a doctor, the experience at the facility was eventually “OK”.

Responding to questions sent earlier in the week, a representative of the SDA indicated that officials were checking into the concerns raised.

Fray said the central unit began malfunctioning “about a month ago”, forcing staff to implement contingency measures, including the use of fans and restricting the number of persons allowed inside at any given time.

“We have been kind of screening the number of bodies that can go in at any time,” he said last week. “One unit has been working, and we are able to work in the morning up to by midday. But after midday, it’s very hot and not tolerable to work. ”

The clinic, which typically runs up to three clinics per day and serves as many as 500 patients daily, has had to prioritise care. He said Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays are the most challenging days.

“All referrals that are new, they are looked at and addressed. And some of the follow-up patients that will need, like prescription, don’t have to be seen right away without being given their prescription,” Fray said.

The clinical coordinator noted that although the facility’s proprietor has indicated that the necessary parts have been secured, the problem has not been resolved.

“I was told there were parts for it and the part has been acquired. But I’m a little concerned because of the urgency of the situation. I would hope that they would move faster than that so we can go back to full function. My patients are my priority.”

After initial repair efforts failed, Fray said the hospital decided to take matters into its own hands.

“We came to the conclusion that it would be in our best interest to buy the unit to fix it properly. And then at the end, we’ll have to remove it. I will find someplace to put it. It won’t be money wasted, I’m sure.”

He added: “If there should be an acute problem developed, then we are where the accident and emergency is. But we try to see as many as we can to minimise that amount that might end up into an emergency situation.”

The clinic’s current location is part of a wider displacement effort stemming from the closure of the main CRH building following a major air-quality issue in 2016.

Several departments remain spread across different locations in St James as the hospital undergoes a $23.5-billion rehabilitation project, which the Ministry of Health & Wellness says is now more than 60 per cent complete.

Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton recently said the works, which include expanded operating theatres, outpatient areas and equipment upgrades, are on track for substantial completion by early next year.

However, the Opposition People’s National Party has criticised the Government’s management of the years-long project, pointing to missed deadlines, ballooning costs, and disruptions to care.

jovan.johnson@gleanerjm.com