THE management of the West Demerara Regional Hospital has responded to a report published by “Big Smith News Watch” regarding a female patient who visited the hospital seeking a police medical examination after allegedly experiencing abuse.

According to hospital officials, the patient arrived at the Emergency Room (ER) with a police medical form in hand, demanding urgent attention. At the time, a male doctor was attending to an eclamptic patient who had suffered three seizures earlier that day. Despite being occupied with this critical case, the doctor took the time to hear the woman’s concerns and then directed her to wait in the triage area for further assessment.

Shortly after, the patient re-entered the ER while another doctor was attending to a one-year-old child with a dangerously high fever of 102°F. Once again, she was accommodated and assessed. Medical staff determined that she had a two-day-old scratch on the dorsal aspect of her left hand but displayed no other visible injuries. She was informed that immediate attention could not be provided due to the prioritisation of critical cases but was assured that she would be assessed by a nurse in the triage area. Alternatively, she was given the option to return to the Outpatient Department (OPD) on another day.

Hospital management has urged members of the media to exercise greater caution in their reporting to avoid creating unnecessary bias against healthcare services. They emphasised that while every patient is important, the prioritisation of life-threatening emergencies is essential in a busy ER setting.

The West Demerara Regional Hospital remains committed to providing the highest level of care to all patients while ensuring that critical cases receive immediate medical attention.