The Guardian editorial on Friday made an important point regarding the need for accountability in the next budget. Surely, ministers must explain how monies voted in the previous budget were spent in a way that enables us to determine whether we got value for our tax dollars!
Year after year, more money is voted without any serious critique on the previous year’s expenditure. A cost-benefit analysis is surely needed. The editorial hit the nail on the head when it said: "The Ministers of Health, National Security and Education, for a start, have to account for no fewer than $20 billion spent on these portfolios in the current fiscal year. Have there been real and tangible benefits?"
A cursory glance at the newspapers in the last few weeks shows that San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) is either mismanaged or terribly underfunded. Here are some of the stories:
Air-condition malfunction derails Sando surgeries
( Thursday, July 24, 2008)
"The two central air-conditioning systems at the SFGH collapsed yesterday evening, causing the cancellation of operations at the Radiology and Urology departments as well as the Blood Bank."
Hospital chaos, 17 patients in one room, await beds for over 8 hours (Thursday, July 10, 2008)
“One female patient, who had been waiting for a bed since Tuesday night, said: ‘This is real hell in a country with so much money. We cannot even get a place to rest we head’
The patients were willing to speak about their plight, but did not want to be identified, for fear of victimisation.
Imtiaz Ahamad, chairman of South-West Regional Health Authority, told the Express that ‘the only way to ease the overcrowding is to have another facility.’
He said the board had done all it could to ease the overcrowding, adding that the old ICU unit had been refurbished to accommodate 11 patients.
The bed management system is working and we are thinking about a new initiative which we cannot disclose at this point,” Ahamad said.”
Bed shortage forces patients to leave (Friday, July 4, 2008)
“Several patients left the SFGH disgusted yesterday, while others remained lying on stretchers for several hours inside the Accident and Emergency Department.
And nurses complained that they were unable to admit them to the wards because there were no beds available.”
Surgeries off again at Sando hospital (Saturday, June 28, 2008)
“Neurosurgery and plastic surgery services are once more not available at the SFGH, and all patients requiring such operations are being referred to other institutions.”
Health and postal strikes in Trinidad (April 22, 2008)
“Overcrowding has gotten so bad at the hospital, that the asthma room, a room supposed to be dedicated for those awaiting emergency asthma treatment, is being used as a holding bay for those awaiting hospital beds. Patients admitted for emergency asthma treatment also complained of overcrowding in the asthma room.
There has been a perennial shortage of beds in the medical wards, and patients are even kept overnight in the asthma room, with no facilities for showering.
The nurses have raised the problems with the authority, ‘but no one listens to what we have to say.’”
No running water at San Fernando General (Saturday, July 26, 2008)
“‘Almost the whole hospital was shut down, Wards 3, 6, 8, Urology, Burns and the medical wards could not function,’ the hospital source said, adding that kidney and diabetic patients were also affected.
Patients were unable to take baths, and nurses were also concerned about their hygiene, since they are required to wash their hands after dealing with each patient.
Throughout the wards, a stench emanated from the washroom as patients were unable to flush toilets.
One patient said the washroom was filthy...
A hospital official said: ‘There is no cause for concern.’”
Bathing with bottled water at Sando hospital
"The SFGH has been without water since Friday, which has resulted in patients having to clean themselves with bottled water supplied by relatives.
A pregnant woman from Ste Madeleine, who asked that her name be withheld, said she did not have a shower in 36 hours, because ‘It have no water and if it continues I would have to leave the hospital until water come.’
She said there were scores of patients on the labour wad who had not had a shower for two days.
The woman said: ‘Some of the toilets have not been flushed for the whole day, and the smell in those areas is disgusting.'"
Before we blindly vote more money for the health ministry, shouldn’t we first inquire why the substantial monies voted last year did not improve the service the SFGH provides to citizens?
If by now we can’t solve the problem of bed shortages, it’s time to ask “Mr Minister, whey de money gone?”