More doctors, nurses are being added to health system, Watson says

Additional doctors, nurses, and infrastructure are being added to the public healthcare system to help combat the rise in COVID cases and hospitalizations, Press Secretary Clint Watson said yesterday. 

“We have opened four tents at the Princess Margaret Hospital,” Watson said.

“We are building capacity not only in infrastructure but also in manpower. We’ve asked the Department of Public Health to lend us nurses to ease the burden felt because of those medical professionals in quarantine.

“We’ve had success with that as well. We’ve also reached out to 12 Bahamian doctors who will be engaged to support the staff at Princess Margaret Hospital. Fifty nurses are expected from Cuba by next week to assist in the fight.”

Minister of Health Dr. Michael Darville said 130 health workers are out because of COVID and Dr. Charles Diggiss, CEO of Doctor’s Hospital, said 120 staff were out.

Watson said the government is finding resources to operate healthcare facilities “so that we don’t have a situation where we have people and no beds for them to go in or nobody to attend to them”.

“That is happening right now and the Ministry of Health is leading out front in ensuring that takes place,” Watson said.

“Futuristically, there are partnerships that are being discussed. They are in discussions now by the minister and some of his advisors.”

Watson said the government is negotiating with its private sector partners to build capacity at healthcare institutions across the country.

He said Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis and Darville will meet with the doctors’ union to address its concerns and its remuneration packages “to get money to them”.

He said the government was recently in negotiations with the Bahamas Nurses Union about money owed to nurses.

“We’re happy to report that they will be paid this week,” Watson said.

“Some of them may have already gotten money in their accounts. Others will be getting it this week. The nurses will get that lump sum and that no doubt is an added incentive for them to be on the front line during this tightened period for the nurses.” 

COVID cases and hospitalizations have seen a dramatic jump recently. 

At last count, 27,122 COVID cases were reported since March 2020. 

As of Tuesday, there were 4,222 active COVID cases.

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