Despite efforts by the Ministry of Health to have a patient satisfaction mechanism in place at the Georgetown Public Hospital there has been a stubbornness on the part of that health institution not to have the mechanism implemented, this is according to Minister of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran.Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday the minister said that there needs to be a patient satisfaction mechanism. He said that the whole practice of patients visiting the Georgetown Hospital and cannot see a doctor is unacceptable.
According to him in cases where patients are treated by doctors and relatives are unable to speak with doctors for days is another issue that needs to be addressed by the health facility. The minister said that at no time should a patient be sent away from the hospital without seeing a doctor.
He also spoke to the cases where patients’ relatives would be trying for days to meet with doctors who are seeing a particular patient and they are never successful and the patient is eventually discharged without the relatives getting a briefing from the doctors. He pointed to one case where the relatives of a patient were only allowed to speak with a doctor after he intervened.
It is against that back drop that the minister told reporters that the hospital’s management has been instructed that there be a special room set up where doctors can meet and brief relatives of the patient’s condition and where information can be shared on the condition of the patient.
Minister Bheri Ramsaran also spoke to the practice of patients being diverted from the Accident and Emergency Unity to the Outpatients Unit without any proper explanation; this is one of the things that must stop immediately he sternly warned.
According to the Minister, he receives as many as ten calls each night by persons who complain about the service at the facility.
Meanwhile Chief Executive Officer of the Georgetown Public Hospital Michael Khan is on record as stating that ever so often person with minor injuries and issues who may not be fully aware of the real functions of the Accident and Emergency Unit tend to show up at that department for medical treatment.
The CEO also spoke of the overcrowding of the department most times by persons who leave their villages and health centres to come of the Georgetown Public Hospital and when they are triaged or in some cases seen by doctors they are then referred to the Outpatients department.
Like the minister the Chief Executive Officer also receives numerous calls about certain practices at the facility and those reports are usually addressed immediately with Kahn sending persons to meet with the aggrieved callers.

(By Leroy Smith )