This country’s Minister of Health, Wellness and the Environment the Hon. St. Clair Prince, during an appearance on Star Radio’s ULP speaks program discussed the effect that COVID-19 admissions have had on the services at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital.
“We have a situation where the hospital is stretched. Where we have had to suspend elective surgeries, we’ve had to suspend the outpatient clinics we have had to send people to polyclinics and it’s a good thing we have the polyclinics to do certain things that we need to do”. Minister Prince said.
The Health Minister then went on to address critiques from some which questioned why the health authorities haven’t just added more beds to increase capacity.
“We are worried that people, who come in with other complaints, present with other problems that we may not even have the beds for them, because a bed is not just a bed eh. Some people say “Well why don’t you get more beds?” It’s not just a bed, a bed needs services, needs people, need bodies there with it, need equipment etc.” The Minister said.
Minister Prince said that more people being admitted to the hospital, means less space for other non-COVID related patients. He emphasized that this is not a problem that is unique to St. Vincent but that it is a problem that health systems all over the world is facing.
