Wright bats for dialysis unit in Sav
Published:Friday | November 4, 2022 | 12:05 AM
Westmoreland Central Member of Parliament George Wright is urging the Ministry of Health and Wellness to provide a dialysis unit and a renal specialist at the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital in the parish.
In his contribution to the State of the Constituency Debate in Parliament on Wednesday, Wright said that elderly patients have to travel to the Cornwall Regional Hospital in St James to get dialysis services.
The independent MP indicated that he has had consultations with medical practitioners at the health facility who have emphasised the need for a dialysis unit.
“I continue to lobby on behalf of the overworked doctors and nurses, as well as the frustrated residents, for a sophisticated intensive care unit that will upgrade the care of patients,” Wright added.
With the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital being the only government-owned facility in the parish, Wright wants the institution to be upgraded from a Type B to a Type A facility. He said patients from Hanover and St Elizabeth are transferred and treated at the hospital.
He expressed concern that there was no “radiologist or neurosurgeon” on call at the hospital, even though the health institution sees a significant number of trauma cases daily.
Wright also complained that patients have had to be transferred to other facilities because the hospital does not have a CT scan machine. He said immediate medical care cannot be rendered in life-threatening situations.
The MP also reported that he spent more than $18 million to support education initiatives in his constituency.
“I have assisted more than 1,000 residents in Westmoreland Central with books, bags, stationery supplies, school fees, and lunch money,” he said.