Painful parking predicament

Doctors and other staff at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) are reportedly fuming over new parking arrangements set up by the hospital’s management to curb a parking lot gridlock that was preventing easy access to the facility’s Accident and Emergency Unit.

At the same time, no clear completion date appears to have been outlined for a proposed parking lot designated by the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the hospital’s oversight body, the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA), at the back of the facility. This area for now serves as a dump for residents of nearby communities.

The Gleaner understands that the main parking lot at the hospital was built to accommodate just over 100 vehicles, but on any given day, some 300 vehicles compete for that space, causing a backup and, more detrimentally, slowing access for ambulances and other emergency vehicles.

Since late last year, however, arrangements have been made for doctors and staff to park at the compound of the National Public Health Lab, which also houses the National Blood Transfusion Service. From there, staff members are reportedly shuttled back and forth to the KPH, a few metres away.

Since then, doctors have reportedly been complaining about the inconvenience of the new arrangements and the length of time it takes for one of two designated vehicles to move them from one facility to the next. One practitioner claimed that at times, moving could take up to 15 minutes.

On Tuesday, KPH CEO Dr Natalie Whylie said she was aware of the discomfort among staff members but that the arrangements must stand as the situation that existed prior was untenable - sometimes dangerous.

“It (traffic) poses a significant hazard in terms of easy entry and exit to the hospital. Even to access the emergency drop-off area in the event of something catastrophic (was hampered). If you need the fire brigade to enter the compound, you must have access to these areas,” explained Whylie.

She empathised with staff members, who, she said, might have difficulty adjusting to the new arrangement and the inability to park on the compound and quickly walk to their offices and stations. Staff members work on shifts, the CEO explained, and so the shuttle service operates from 7:00 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. and then restarts from 2:30 p.m. through to 5:15 p.m.

Outside of these times, the transport manager at the hospital will have to dispatch a vehicle to facilitate staff transportation.

“So a schedule was circulated, but to change the culture is difficult. People are used to if they come park and they need to leave urgently they go ... they (staff) are not happy. It is inconvenient for them, but we have to be mindful of staff safety,” said Whylie, noting that areas designated as part of the hospital’s fire and emergency plans as assembly points were inaccessible.

Yesterday, head of the Medical Doctors’ Association, Dr Renee Badroe, said she was aware of the doctors’ complaints and the proposed area for the new car park to be erected but that she would have to have a conversation with Whylie before she could speak publicly on the matter. This, she said, was among several concerns that were in need of being addressed in such a meeting.

On Tuesday, one staff member at the Bustamante Hospital for Children fumed when she was told that despite her uniform, she would not be granted parking on the compound and instead, was directed to an area designated for patients across from the hospital.

“I work at the same SERHA. This doesn’t make any sense to me,” she vented to the newspaper.

Errol Greene, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Health and Wellness, heads the KPH Redevelopment Committee, which aims to address some of the hospital’s infrastructural challenges, including parking.

On Wednesday, Greene asked the newspaper to send questions to him as he was unable to participate in a telephone interview. Those questions and his cellular phone went unanswered up to press time.

corey.robinson@gleanerjm.com