Sickout action by nurses at the Accident and Emergency Department at the Point Fortin Area Hospital resulted in chaos yesterday when several patients involved in a two-car smashup were brought in for treatment. The patients, transported to the hospital by ambulance from the Atlantic company, were seen after several hours by the lone nurse on duty and subsequently transferred to the San Fernando General Hospital.
However, they all had to find their own transport as there was no ambulance service to take them to San Fernando. One patient with an injured foot explained she was brought to the hospital shortly after 6 am. Three hours later she was taken for an X-ray and later was told to go to the SFGH for further treatment.
Speaking to the T&T Guardian at the Point Fortin around mid-morning, the woman, who did not wish to be identified, said: "I am waiting for one of my husband's 'partners' to take me to San Fernando. There is no ambulance. An Atlantic ambulance brought me here. My car was involved in the accident so I am just waiting."
She described the service at Point Fortin as "poor." "There were people worse off than me and they took real long to do their X-rays," she added. She said she overheard the nurses saying they had been on duty since the night before because their relief shift had called in sick. "They really need some help down here," the woman said.
Point Fortin MP Paula Gopee-Scoon said the situation was "unacceptable." She said she was told the sickout action stemmed from a malfunctioning air-condition unit in the A&E Department. "That area is small, hot, crowded and uncomfortable. It is difficult to operate without air-condition," she added.
Gopee-Scoon said she sent detailed text messages to Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan and South West Regional Health Authority CEO Anil Gosine to address the situation. "It is horrific and cannot be allowed to continue another day," she added. SWRHA chairman Dr Lackram Bodoe said he was told four nurses and one nursing assistant did not turn up for duty yesterday because they were not well.
He said arrangements were made to fully staff the department and was unaware the air-condition unit was not functioning.
