Unlicensed rehab centres thriving in Hanover
Facilities continue operations despite health department’s actions
Published:Monday | December 12, 2022 | 5:47 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
The Hanover Health Department (HHD) has its hands full in trying to contain the number of unlicensed nursing homes and rehabilitation centres in the parish, as notices served by the health department on existing ones are being disregarded while others are opening their doors.
It all started just before the COVID-19 pandemic when one facility, which described itself as a rehabilitation centre for persons with mental problems, relocated from St. James to Chigwell in the parish of Hanover, a fact that was brought to the attention of the HHD.
Despite several notices served by the HHD on that facility, for it to get licensed by the Ministry of Health, and to improve the several shortcomings in the building and operations at that facility to bring it up to acceptable standards, all that happened was the operators of the facility changed address in the parish, and continued the operation.
After three years of back and forth, the HHD eventually took out court proceeding against the unlicensed health facility, Chances Rehabilitation Center, and the operator after pleading guilty in the Hanover Parish Court, to operating without the necessary license, was penalised by the Hanover Parish Court, for operating a health facility without a proper licence.
Information emerged at a recent Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC) meeting that the number of unlicensed nursing home health facilities operating in that parish now stands at five. Apart from the Chances facility, which is still in operation, but being closely monitored by the HHD, there is now Royale Home for the elderly, which operates both a male and a female facility; Peoples Nursing Home; and one Walking by Faith Nursing Home.
“We have five of them (unlicensed health facilities) in this parish, they are all operating temporarily because inspections have been done, but they still have to get a license from the Ministry,” medical officer of health (MOH) for Hanover, Dr. Kaushal Singh told the HMC meeting.
“All these nursing homes have mushroomed in the parish over a period, and we (at the HHD) are using different ways to monitor them, they were all informed that they are operating without the necessary licence, and we are doing the required monitoring to preserve and protect the health of the population,” Singh stated.
According to a written report tabled in the HMC meeting, the Royale Home for the Elderly, both male and female sections, were visited and inspected by a health team involving HHD representatives, and Ministry of Health and Wellness representatives out of Kingston, and a work plan towards improving and bringing the facility up to required standards was issued.
HEALTH TEAM
Efforts to inspect the Walking by Faith Nursing Home was not so successful, however, as the HHD report is showing that when the known address of the facility was visited, the building was found to be empty, and the health team was advised that the facility had relocated to an address in the town of Hopewell, in the parish.
The Peoples Nursing Home was visited and also issued with a work plan, with the HHD stating that regular and continuous visits will be made to all the facilities for monitoring purposes.
Dr. Singh noted that if they (the unlicensed health facilities) do not do the necessary improvements as pointed out by the health representatives, also apply for the required licensing, then the HHD will be left with no alternative, but to carry the matter to the point of prosecution in the courts, as was done with the one of the rehabilitation centres.
Meanwhile, Mayor of Lucea, and chairman of the HMC, Sheridan Samuels, suggested that a meeting be convened by the HMC and the HHD, to involve all the operators of the unlicensed health facilities within the parish, with a view to informing those operators about the legal requirements for them to operate a health facility.