–Health Minister tells patients who are being turned away from public health facilities
HEALTH Minister Dr. Frank Anthony has urged citizens who are diverted by public healthcare workers to report them, affirming that facilities are well equipped and operational.
The minister emphasised in response to Opposition Chief Whip Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, who said she received complaints that citizens seeking care at health facilities have been told to visit private facilities instead.
The concern about ultrasound availability at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) was first raised, and the minister clarified that the facility has several ultrasound machines, which are operational.
Although he said that delays experienced by patients are often due to high demand, the minister issued a strong warning against public healthcare workers who are directing patients to private clinics.
“Now, what I want to say to the general public, if you come to any one of the hospitals anywhere, and somebody says to you, ‘You can’t get it done here, but come to my private clinic,’ report them. Report them, so that we can have the information and we can deal with them,” he said.
Dr. Anthony urged persons to lodge their concerns at the Help Desk at the hospital or use the ministry’s hotline to report issues. The General Health Hotline (Complaints & Feedback) is 227-4357.
“We have also put up at all of our health facilities a poster with a number. If you go there and the place is supposed to open at 8 a.m. and the place is closed, call the number so that we’ll know and we’ll be able to take action,” Dr. Anthony said.
The minister firmly stated that the government has invested heavily in public healthcare infrastructure at GPHC, and raised the standards very high.
Additionally, Dr. Anthony responded to the concerns raised regarding doctors who are employed full-time in the public system but also engage in private practice during working hours.
Noting that it is a valid concern, he stated that the implementation of an electronic health record system at GPHC will strengthen accountability.
The system will track which doctor saw a patient, how much time was spent, and when the patient was discharged.
“So, if they are not in the system; if they come in and spend an hour and disappear, then all of that, you would be able to track that, and I think that would bring some level of accountability. So, that’s one major thing that we are putting in place, and I hope that will help us to manage this problem better,” he said.
The minister also highlighted the efforts to improve patient experience by introducing patient advocates at the six regional hospitals. These trained personnel will assist patients navigating the system, particularly those who may feel overlooked while waiting for care.
