THE Linden Hospital Complex (LHC) is battling a high number of patients who have been abandoned at the hospital, which has affected the institution’s capacity to effectively accommodate patients who are in dire need of admission.

At a press conference held on Wednesday, LHC Social Worker Laurette Smith Gray, bemoaned the situation with Lindeners abandoning their relatives. For 2018, there have been eight persons abandoned at the hospital and most of the cases are elderly persons, but Gray noted that minors are also being abandoned by their parents; the latest being a differently abled child. Gray noted that the patients are still at the hospital months after their discharge. “It therefore means they are no longer under medical management, but they fall as social patients, the hospital does not have the capacity to hold persons who are not patients that are not in dire need of medical attention,” the social worker said.

As a result of this situation, the hospital is finding it difficult to serve active admissions. “When we have patients as social cases, it then puts the hospital in a situation where we are pressed for space, where we may have to turn away some persons, where we may have to send persons away without fully assessing their conditions before they are fully discharged, so what we would like is for family members to take up their responsibility and to look into the care of their relatives.” While there is no official procedure to deal with these issues, Gray said she tries to get the elderly into the Palms, while the Child Protection Agency deals with minors. There are no institutions however for middle-aged persons.

Abuse of ambulance service
Touching on another sore issue, Gray said recently residents have been using the ambulance service to transport their relatives to the hospital, when they are fully aware they are not in need of medical attention. Some persons are even sending their relatives to the hospital with taxis, but when it is time for them to return home, no one is usually available. Gray said she is now left to find permanent accommodation for these social cases. Gray said that while some of the abandoned patients are also middle-aged, most are incapacitated or terminally ill. She believes that relatives are finding it hard to care for them, but stressed that it is not the hospital’s responsibility to do so. “We are not responsible for keeping persons, as long as they have not met the criteria for admission, the relatives are expected to take their relatives home and provide for their continued management.”

Public Relations Officer Toshanna Allicock, is also calling on the relatives to take up their responsibility and care for their loved ones, so that the hospital can focus on serving sick patients and not abandoned ones.