North Central health authority boasts of 6,000 surgeries amid covid19

North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) CEO Davlin Thomas says he is proud of the authority’s staff who did 6,000 surgeries in 2020 during the covid19 pandemic.

In a release, he said while the pandemic has been a challenge, it helped the authority to “adapt and develop innovative ways of delivering health care, amidst a threat to healthcare everywhere.”

He said 2020 was a test of the healthcare system’s medical capabilities.

“I’m happy to say that the staff of the NCRHA rose to the occasion and continues to rise to the occasion on daily basis.

“We had to come up with new ways and methods that would protect our patients by enforcing and encouraging behaviours that would prevent spread and exposure while simultaneously maintaining and managing our current commitments – clinics, appointments, surgeries, emergency facilities…all this while also undertaking the tasks of three of the major covid19 facilities.”

He said the staff ensured healthcare remained available, accessible, safe and practical while following all the public health guidelines.

He said since the introduction of telemedicine services during the pandemic, over 20,000 patients have benefited from it.

“We are now at a stage where our telemedicine services provides us with the opportunity to improve our patients’ compliance with pharmaceuticals in the future, and as a net effect, the outcomes for our patients will be improved significantly and exponentially.”

General manager for Primary Care Services Dr Abdul Hamid said care doctors who usually work at health centres “took up the mantle” to call patients, do scheduled check-ups and offer consultation.

Hamid said, “The intention, was and still is, to lower their risk and chance of exposure by not having them commute through or gather in public spaces.

“This has allowed for even more regular monitoring, increased feedback and dialogue between patient and medical staff, as well as better position the NCRHA to provide necessary medical intervention, in the covid19 climate.”

The release said doctors requested a system to assist them with safely perform surgeries and to prevent backlog, “having initially been directed to stop non-emergency surgeries in the early stages of the pandemic.

“After streamlining processes for testing, and designing a way forward that would ensure safety and compliance with covid19 regulations, especially in the hospital environment, we were able to undertake this task successfully.”

"Special tribute must be paid to our doctors, nursing staff and all other members of staff – whether medical, technical, administrative and supportive, that banded together to make this happen.”

Thomas praised all members of staff at the NCRHA saying they “banded together to make this happen.

“Whether through structural, systematic changes or technological advancement, we are committed to delivering premium healthcare services, and adapting to the demands of this dynamic, evolving time. It is indeed a learning curve for all of us, but we remain steadfast in our mission to deliver premium healthcare, in the face of all that’s happening.

“The NCRHA is purposed to do whatever we can to make ourselves, our society and more specifically those entrusted into our care, so much better.”