Consultant Physicians Staff Association (CPSA) President Dr. Sabriquet Pinder-Butler said yesterday doctors are concerned about the public healthcare system’s capacity to handle a surge in hospitalized COVID-19 cases.
She said given the state of the Rand Memorial Hospital on Grand Bahama where there is a surge in cases, as well as Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH), a shortage of beds and space to accommodate more COVID-19 cases has become worrisome.
“What we’re seeing with increases in the numbers, and we know that we already have challenges within the institution with bed space and potential exposures to staff, as well as patients, it is a concern for us,” Pinder-Butler said.
“It’s a very real concern that we won’t be able to have the capacity to properly care for patients, to house them, those types of things, and to provide the care that is needed.”
According to the Ministry of Health’s daily dashboard, there are 16 COVID-19 cases hospitalized, up from 12 the day before.
Bahamas Nurses Union President Amancha Williams said between 24 and 50 union members have been placed in quarantine due to potential exposure on wards at PMH.
Speaking to The Nassau Guardian yesterday, Dr. Locksley Munroe, consultant general surgeon, said, “There have been at least three teams that have been negatively impacted with this new surge.
“And that has definitely impacted service delivery at the hospital as well. At least three teams have gotten it.
“My team has been lucky this time, I guess, to still have everyone on board. [But] three or four teams – one of them is in orthopaedics – where you have had significant exposure. And they are just self-quarantining right now.”
Munroe said the other impacted teams are in general surgery.
The Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) offered no comment when contacted yesterday.
With dozens of nurses and doctors placed in quarantine after being potentially exposed to the novel coronavirus, Pinder-Butler said the lack of manpower is once again beginning to place a strain on the healthcare workers left to pick up the slack.
“There’s always been a challenge with staffing shortages,” she said.
“We’ve had challenges even before COVID-19 and certainly with persons having to quarantine or isolate, and you’re taking out members of staff.
“It puts a strain on those of us who are continuing to work. So, certainly, there is a concern because if the physicians, nurses and members of staff are not there to provide the care that’s needed, then we know that there’s disservice to the patients, certainly a disservice to the healthcare workers as well.”
Back in April, more than 200 healthcare workers from PMH and Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre were quarantined following possible exposure to COVID-19 at the facilities.
Pinder-Butler questioned the effectiveness of some of the government’s latest measures to avoid a further spread of the virus.
“Well, we would hope that our government, we would hope, tries its best to manage or to give thoughts as to what might be best for the country,” she said.
“Certainly, when we consider a weekend lockdown, but there’s still some things that are still perhaps not really locked down, and persons are still able to fly in and out of the country, which we’ve heard discussions as to how our COVID-19 numbers increased exponentially by that very right.
“That’s a concern because, certainly, if we’re putting restrictive measures in place but then we still have a lot of them that are open without other things being put in place, then it makes us wonder if we’re really going to be as effective as we can with trying to curve these cases.
“Our borders are still open to persons being able to travel. That’s a concern, especially with these numbers. The lockdown numbers, we’ll see how effective they will be.”
Both Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis and Minister of Tourism Dionisio D’Aguilar have said the latest surge in cases was the result of Bahamians moving in and out of the country.
Since the country’s borders reopened on July 1, more than 300 COVID-19 cases have been reported. The total confirmed cases since March 15 is 484.
The newest emergency orders issued approve hotels as appropriate quarantine facilities.
D’Aguilar said the measure was taken to give some life to tourism during this time.
Pinder-Butler said while the government does its part, Bahamians must do theirs by practicing social distancing, wearing masks and practicing good hygiene.
The post Doctors worry on rising COVID-19 strain appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
source https://thenassauguardian.com/2020/07/30/doctors-worry-on-rising-covid-19-strain/
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