THE quality of care at the island’s health facilities is currently being scrutinized by health officials from the Ministry of Health. The officials are making a concerted effort to seek out and address these issues through one-on-one meetings with officials from the facilities.
In August, they met with management and staff of the southern secondary care facility, St. Jude Hospital.
Officials from the Ministry of Health have been engaging officials within the sector with the aim of addressing some of the major issues affecting the island’s health facilities.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sharon Belmar-George chaired the August meeting with management and staff of the St. Jude Hospital, which preceded a site visit of the facility.
Dr. Belmar says the Ministry is looking forward to providing the necessary assistance to the facility through continued collaborative efforts.
“So we looked at the increases in admitted cases. We’ve also looked at some of the quality of care issues that they have seen and looking at the various measures that we would need to support to improve and to ensure efficient services in the south,” the CMO said.
Dr. Belmar says through the newly appointed Quality Manager, Tecla Jn. Baptiste, the Ministry has been looking even closer at its health sector standards. Reform is already underway, as some facilities have already begun making changes.
“You’ve noted that for example, extended hours have been put in for the Gros- Islet Polyclinic where there’s access to care Saturdays, Sundays, holidays and up to midnight and we are working to also establish the Castries Urban Polyclinic. Persons in that area can also access care when our traditional wellness centres are closed. We also looking closely at the south,” George added.
Lydia Atkins is the Chief Executive Officer of the sole secondary care facility in the south of the island.
The meeting was the second in a series of planned sessions between the groups.
Said Atkins: “Important for St. Jude is the ability to ensure and to guarantee the public that the care they continue to access at the St. Jude Hospital meets the required standards for care irrespective of the infrastructure where those services are being delivered. Ensuring that we are able to meet those required standards with the adequacy of staff as well as the adequacy of supplies that we have. Looking at our protocols, our approach to care, our practices and ensuring that we meet the benchmarked international standards that governs this.”
The meeting was held at St. Jude’s conference room.