Public Hospitals Instructed Not To Turn Away Patients – Dr. Tufton

Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton, says public hospitals have been instructed not to turn away persons seeking medical attention, despite space constraints at a number of institutions, largely due to the heightened number of coronavirus (COVID-19)-related admissions.

Speaking during Monday’s (March 8) COVID-19 digital press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Media Centre, Dr. Tufton noted that 13 of 22 institutions are in the “red zone”, meaning that “they have greater than 84 per cent occupancy level for their isolation capacity”.

He said that 12 of 13 hospitals are at 100 per cent or greater capacity.

University Hospital of the West Indies, Kingston Public, Cornwall Regional, Annotto Bay, Port Maria, Mandeville, May Pen, Princess Margaret, Percy Junor, St. Ann’s Bay, National Chest and Spanish Town hospitals have all exceeded their capacity to house patients requiring isolation care.

Additionally, the Minister advised that all four Regional Health Authorities (RHA) have two or more hospitals in the red zone.

He informed that the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA) has two of four hospitals at that stage, with the other two in the amber zone; the North Eastern Regional Health Authority (NERHA) has three of four hospitals in the red zone; Southern Regional Health Authority (SHRA) has three of five; and within the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA), five of nine institutions are in the red zone.

Dr. Tufton further indicated that the average number of daily admissions to COVID-19 isolation wards islandwide totalled 49 for the week of February 22 to 28.

That figure, he pointed out, rose to 56 between March 1 and 7, consequent on the increasing rate of spread, which he noted is “adding to the stresses of the public health system”.

Dr. Tufton noted that persons will likely experience longer waits in accessing medical care at public health facilities, and appealed for “patience and understanding” on the part of the public.

Meanwhile, Dr. Tufton said that the Ministry is seeing COVID-19 workplace clusters, which he noted is a “concern to public health”.

He informed that the Kingston and St. Andrew health department is managing some 46 active workplace clusters, which is an indication that “we are having increasing numbers of outbreaks within the workplace… and the [infection prevention] protocols… are not being followed diligently”.

Dr. Tufton is imploring employers to review the protocols in order to minimise spread within that work environment.