THE Leguan Cottage Hospital sees 25 persons or more on a daily basis and some 40 to 45 patients on a clinic day. What is more, the hospital has only one doctor working a 24/7 basis, along with six nurses.

General services are offered at the hospital, and emergency cases have to be referred to the West Demerara Hospital. No x-ray or ultrasounds are done because the hospital has no labs.

A delivery room exists, but no deliveries can be done at the moment. The room is in a deplorable state and the ceiling, especially, is in urgent need of repairs.
The hospital stocks regular medication like antibiotics, pain and pressure tablets, and has to make do with whatever drugs are sent there.

There is a doctor’s house in the same compound as the hospital, but it is in need of repairs. Authorities have said that another doctor will be posted there, once the repair works are done.

Problems arise for patients, though, when they are in need of urgent medical attention that is not available on the island. At such times, the patients must bear the cost of the transportation expenses, which essentially, puts them at the mercy of the speedboat operators who can charge as much as $13,000 to cross over to Parika.