The Marabella Health Centre Board and Chief Executive Officer have been given the green light to take “whatever action necessary” after a clerk recently decided on their own not to refer a patient to a doctor or nurse for triage attention
“That was unacceptable and I personally condemn that action,” Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said yesterday, adding he could not deny media reports on it.
“Very often I have to correct media reports, but in this case, I will not and cannot defend the indefensible.
“The standard of care at the Marabella Health Centre, in that case, left a lot to be desired,” he added in Parliament yesterday.
Deyalsingh was asked by the Opposition about the matter after recent reports that two Marabella residents—one a child—were refused medical care at the Marabella Health facility.
Deyalsingh said based on the information, which has come to hand, the clerk simply took it upon him or herself not to refer the patient to a doctor or nurse for triage.
Triage is the process of quickly examining sick or injured people, so those in the most serious condition can be treated first.
He said a full report on the incident—following staff interviews— was sent to the CEO yesterday.
“I’ve communicated to the Board and CEO this is unacceptable and they are to take whatever action they deem possible following proper industrial relations process and due process,”
However, in another matter, Deyalsingh stood behind the North Central Health Authority concerning claims by one Khemraj Ramgohan, whom Deyalsingh said was never denied care.
Detailing a long list of tests and medical attention which Ramgohan received—from CT scans, blood work and supervision of a senior specialist surgeon—Deyalsingh said when all the care was quantified, Ramgohan received about $150,000 worth of medical care.
“World class care,” he added.
On other Opposition queries Deyalsingh said after the contractor for the National Oncology Centre terminated its contract, the services planned for the centre will be repurposed at other health facilities—especially St James Radiotherapy Centre which will become a “mini Oncology Centre,” he added.
The planned Oncology Centre had been plagued with setbacks since first conceived by the previous PNM administration. It stalled recently.
Deyalsingh said contractor Bouygues Batiment had terminated the contract since February 22, 2018
On why the contract was terminated, he said the matter was being handled by the “powers that be in arbitration” and he did not want to say anything to influence it.
The Health Ministry is engaged in final negotiation for the claim settlement.
He added: “Given the termination of the contract by Bouygues Batiment TT Construction Ltd, the Ministry in conjunction with the regional health authorities and GEHC has developed a reprioritised list of equipment to replaced the proposed MRI and PET/CT (investigative equipment ) originally intended for the National Oncology Centre and to allocate to the Diagnostic Imaging Units in existing hospitals within the respective RHAs.”
“The repurposing initiative will serve to replace existing equipment which is nearing the end of their life-cycle at the various hospitals.
“It will also provide additional benefits to the respective catchment population in meeting a critical need for additional and modern diagnostic imaging technology while still achieving the original mandate of the initiative to address cancer.”
RHAs which will receive equipment from the centre include North Central, Eastern, South Western and North Western RHAs.
St James Radiotherapy Centre received the high dose brachytherapy machine in 2017 and will receive a linear accelerator (radiation) machine in June.
“St James will now be providing the bulk of (oncology services) and when we commission other pieces of equipment it will be a mini-oncology Centre,” he added.