Former Bahamas Doctors Union (BDU) President Dr. Mucomba Millar said yesterday the country is in “dire straits” regarding healthcare worker numbers, and the issue was exacerbated after a patient on a medical-surgical ward at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week.
Minister of Health Dr. Duane Sands said yesterday that four new COVID-19 cases are tied to the incident.
Millar said he does not want to alarm the public, but the situation is concerning.
“That was the first thing I mentioned because I know we have a finite resource of physicians in our system, and we had this argument last year when the Ministry of Health said that we have enough physicians in our country,” he said.
“And I could have pointed to areas in which we have deficits.
“And this quarantine system and what the COVID-19 pandemic has shown is that we are in dire straits when it comes to physicians.
“So, I am sorry that it took this situation for these things to be seen. But as you saw today, the CPSA (Consultant Physicians Staff Association) said the same thing as well. We are very concerned about how many physicians we have in the hospital.
“Dr. Munroe said that he has one person on his team. There’s no way that you could run a team with one person.
“…And in a lot of places, our staffing is okay in PMH, but there are areas where persons are being overworked. Of course, things have always been very taxing in Freeport in the Rand. And I hope that after COVID-19 that these things are taken into account and that the ministry changes some of its plans to reduce the physician workforce…that we have in the system.”
There are 65 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country, and nine people have died.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that 50 healthcare workers had been taken out of the system after exposure to the virus.
Millar said no one can be blamed for what transpired on the medical-surgical ward, but called for proper contact tracing.
“Worldwide, healthcare workers have been bearing the brunt of COVID-19, not just the illnesses but the deaths as well,” he said.
He added, “It’s always a concern of ours when our members are exposed, especially in a patient like this, who did not present with any COVID-like symptoms.
“Of course we don’t really see it as a fault of the PHA (Public Hospitals Authority) or PMH. The patient presented with non-COVID symptoms and a diagnosis.
“And so as we know, asymptomatic patients can have COVID-19 and pass it onto others.
“Our concern is, of course, proper tracing for the staff especially to ensure that the staff has been told and quarantined if necessary.”
The post Former BDU president: We are in dire straits appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
source https://thenassauguardian.com/2020/04/22/former-bdu-president-we-are-in-dire-straits/
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