About 20 cancer patients had to wait for three hours to get chemotherapy treatment at the Southwest Regional Health Authority Oncology Unit on Friday after a water leak from the roof drenched the electrical panel box.
Equipment used to administer chemotherapy could not be used when patients arrived at the facility for treatment at 7:30 am.
A source said the roof at the Unit was leaking and two weeks ago repairs began. However the chemotherapy sessions continued despite ongoing roof repairs and following heavy rains on Thursday night, the water began seeping from the roof into the facility.
“Right now there is no consultant of health and safety officer to decide what to do. The equipment is not operational right now and they cannot start the treatment unless they get an all-clear from the health and safety personnel,” a source said.
It was only after 11:30 am that the treatment actually began.
When the Guardian visited the centre, patients were seen sitting on the benches outside the facility. Many of them opted not to give interviews saying they did not want to get victimized.
Last week during his Budget contribution, former chairman of the SWRHA Dr Lackram Bodoe said the SWRHA Oncology unit, established in 2012 by former health minister Dr Fuad Khan, was in jeopardy of closing down due to the resignation of US-trained consultant oncologist Dr Vinay Minocha.
He said if the Centre was closed down, hundreds of cancer patients will be sent back to the St James cancer treatment centre.
Communications officials at SWRHA directed questions to Chief Executive Officer of the SWRHA Dr Brian Armour.
However, calls to his cellular phone went unanswered and he did not respond to WhatsApp messages.
Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh also did not answer his calls.