By: Kingsley Emmanuel
A recent incident at the St. Jude Hospital which has resulted in a staff member sustaining a fractured neck is causing anxiety among other workers there over their safety and well- being.
Just over a week ago, a shelf loaded with over a hundred boxes of intravenous fluid, fell on Ali Charles, fracturing his neck. The incident occurred in one of the containers at the hospital.
At the moment Charles is on sick leave. According to family members, he is expected to be away from work for many months.
“When the shelf fell on me I fell unconscious… ” Charles recalled.
He added that he is currently in deep pain and worried about his health.
“My son is now moving like a robot; he can hardly do anything for himself,” Charles’ father, John Baptiste Charles told THE VOICE.
According to one hospital worker, when the boxes fell on Charles he could not move under their weight, and had to be given assistance by other colleagues.
St. Jude Hospital which was originally located at Augier, Vieux Fort, has been occupying the George Odlum Stadium since 2009, after it was destroyed by fire. Three patients perished in the inferno.
The recent incident has also resulted in the staff of St Jude calling on the government to expedite the progress of the reconstruction of the hospital.
“It’s high time we got out of here. This place is like a death trap…” a worker told THE VOICE.
Repeated attempts to reach the Chief Executive Officer of the hospital, Dr.ChierryPoyotte for comments on the matter were futile.
The dilapidated condition of the Stadium has got worse over the years. About a month ago, a section of the guttering on the roof fell, forcing the administrators of the hospital to do some remedial work .
A number of people have had scary moments on the compound of the hospital after pieces of metal fell from the roof and landed very close to them.
Over the years, the former government had given the public several dates when the hospital would be completed, but these assurances never materialized. The last date given by the former administration for completion of the project was September 2016, but according to construction workers on the project, this is not going to happen.
Last week, the six-week old government of Prime Minister Allen Chastanet announced a decision to suspend construction activities at the hospital because of the protracted delay in completing the work.
Said the statement: “The government deems this situation untenable; therefore, in the national interest, it cannot allow for this to continue its natural course. The suspension will determine a reasonable schedule and resources necessary for completion of the hospital, and ensure that once completed the hospital will meet the necessary standards of care, and can be accredited by an international accreditation body.
“The Government of Saint Lucia will make all efforts to ensure that the period of suspension is minimized so that work can resume and be completed in the minimum possible time”.