Dawes says Jamaica experiencing a state of healthcare emergency

Opposition Spokesperson on Health, Dr Alfred Dawes, has asserted that Jamaica is now experiencing 'a state of emergency in the healthcare system' following the announcement by the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) that it has suspended accepting patient transfers.

In a media release on Friday, Dawes called for the Ministry of Health and Wellness to be transparent about the state of healthcare in Jamaica.

He argued that with Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH), the UHWI, and Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) being the three major hospitals serving the entire island, any disruption of services in one hospital has a domino effect on the others.

"CRH has been practically out of commission for the last eight years, and now, with UHWI no longer receiving patients, the already overwhelmed KPH must shoulder the burden of the other two nonfunctional hospitals. By any measure, this constitutes a state of emergency in the healthcare system, both public and private," he stated.

Additionally, Dawes said the less specialised, mostly rural hospitals have fewer options available for transferring critically-ill patients, leading to higher morbidity and death rates in those facilities.

"God forbid any major accidents or earthquakes should occur, as every receiving hospital would be instantly overwhelmed," he continued.

Dawes said he was calling for the ministry to immediately address the nation on the true state of the public health system and to outline the immediate and long-term measures being taken to minimise the loss of lives in patients who cannot be transferred to KPH.

"I urge all Jamaicans to be extremely cautious as you go about your daily lives because if emergency care is needed, it will most likely not be at the usual standard, leading to greater risks to your lives," he warned. "We can only pray that things return to some semblance of normality, given the gravity of the situation."

In announcing the suspension of patient transfers on Thursday, the UHWI said the measure was due to a significant increase in the number of patients in the emergency room, with 90 per cent presenting complications from chronic non-communicable diseases. 

The UHWI, however, said it continues to provide care for emergency cases and will accept critically ill patients who require immediate attention, transferring them directly to the critical care unit as needed.

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