THE public health system is not perfect. Despite the greatest commitment from the healthcare workers and other staff to provide quality services to people, sometimes the sheer lack of resources within this system is a severe constraint. And I have learnt over the past few weeks that patience is perhaps the only way of guaranteeing aid for patients seeking care.

Over the last two weeks, I accompanied a family member to visit three different doctors at four different medical facilities. On her own, that family member has spent the last three months frequenting numerous medical facilities- in the public and private sectors. And throughout the journey of trying to get a confident diagnosis, the doctors, nurses, and clerical staff have all advised her against using (or continuing to use) the public health system.

Before I joined her on these visits, she told me that she was advised against going to public hospitals. In the first instance, she was told that the specialised care she needed was not offered there, and instead, she was referred to a private facility in Georgetown. Because her ailment has caused her consistent, excruciating pain and prevents her from engaging in her day-to-day activities, she went to that facility.

While there, she had to consult with several doctors to get the specialised care she needed. She also had to undergo costly medical tests and procedures. Of course, with support from family members, she could stand the cost of accessing healthcare, but what happens when that cost can no longer be sustained? Or worse yet, what happens if you can’t afford it at all?

At the first private facility to which I accompanied my relative, the doctor referred her to a colleague at another private facility. The colleague was contacted right in front of us and an appointment for 14:00hrs the next day was immediately made. We enquired about setting up an appointment at the Georgetown Public Hospital, where the doctor also works, but the doctor who made the referral told us plainly: “You will have to wait weeks before you even get an appointment.”

Now trust me when I say that this is not an exaggeration for the sake of a dramatic column; this was a real statement I heard. And it shocked me, but I soon realised that this was the norm. When we saw the doctor the next day, she requested a specific test-a detailed ultrasound-that was not offered at the private medical facility where she was consulting. And so, she referred us to yet another private medical facility to get the test done. Yet again, we were told: “You will have to wait for a while at “public” [the Georgetown Public Hospital].”

Now before I continue, let me emphasise: I’m not trying to discredit the Georgetown Public Hospital or the wider public health system. The people who work here are confronted by a great need to provide healthcare services. The reality is, however, that they do not have unlimited resources and capacity.

Let me also emphasise: I am not trying to criticise the doctors’ and their advice to utilise private facilities for a much faster provision of services. Like many of us, these doctors are aware of the challenges that exist within the health system, and to provide speedy relief to patients, they have suggested what they believed was the better alternative.

I am trying to provide some minuscule insight into the systemic challenges that exist in the delivery of local healthcare. And, cognisant of these challenges, I hope that the people who are much smarter than I am, much more powerful, and certainly, vested with greater responsibilities can continue the work to make healthcare more accessible.

Now, patients’ patience may be tested at times (perhaps even most times), but all hope is not lost. Admittedly, there is work that is being done to address some of these challenges. Just last week, the Better Hope Health Centre was reopened after a period of closure. The Health Minister announced that a single doctor and other medical personnel would be placed there on a full-time basis and that other services (such as maternal and child health care) would be provided there.

Of course, a single doctor and a small team would never be nearly enough to serve the medical needs of all the people on the lower East Coast, but when I look at these efforts at decentralising and devolving health care, I see a bigger picture. I see primary healthcare being more accessible, which in turn can contribute to fewer people becoming severely ill (because primary healthcare helps with early diagnosis and treatment). Fewer people becoming severely ill could translate into fewer people being referred to hospitals for treatment-like at the Georgetown Public Hospital. And when that happens, the staff at those hospitals have more resources to deal with those patients who need serious and timely interventions.

I am hopeful that we can make healthcare more accessible in this country, especially for the people who are not as privileged as I am and have no other option but to be patient patients.

If you would like to connect with me to discuss this column or any of my previous works, feel free to email me at vish14ragobeer@gmail.com.