Crisis brewing at the Arima Hospital

A crisis is brewing at the Arima Hospital as patients are now forced to wait for more than five hours to get medical attention.

Patients forced to wait for more than five hours to see a doctor...

On right - Deputy Chairman-NCRHA ELVIN EDWARDS

A Sunshine Today reporter visited the emergency department at the institution on Friday March 22, 2019 around 7.45 pm and found several patients waiting to see a doctor for close to six hours. One patient who appeared to be in excruciating pain was lying on a bench waiting to see a doctor. His wife said they came to the hospital since 2.30 p.m and up to 7.45 pm he was still waiting for medical attention.

There were about 15 patients, many of whom said they have been waiting between four and five hours to see a doctor. The nurse at the entrance of the emergency department who would take a patient’s vitals, like blood pressure, pulse and other information to provide the doctor with the results was not seen. It was not until about 8.30 pm that the nurse to her desk and began to check on the patients who had been waiting for an inordinate length of time. After the nurse has seen the patients they are then required to register and take a seat to see a doctor.

NCRHA Board member Elvin Edwards to investigate

Inquires revealed that there was just one doctor on duty at the time, which resulted in the long wait. One patient, who was fed up waiting, was forced to seek medical attention at a nearby emergency hospital which cost him close to $1,000 This crisis at the Arima Hospital is an ongoing problem because of a shortage of doctors and nurses, especially at nights and yet there are over 200 doctors in the country who are unemployed and nurses are leaving the country in droves to seek employment overseas. Yet Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh continues to boast how T&T has one of the best health care systems in the Caribbean.

Sunshine Today spoke to former Arima Mayor Elvin Edwards, who is on the Board of the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) about the critical situation at the Arima Hospital. He promised to look into the situation which occurred on the Friday night.