ERHA CEO dismisses claims of poor health care

CEO of the Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA) Ronald Tsoi-a-Fatt has dismissed as “mischief” claims by an employee at the Sangre Grande Hospital that there were problems with patients receiving proper health care.

"That is nonsense. That is some disgruntled people doing what the hell they want, and we are in silly season now."

Newsday received a letter, apparently from an employee, who said the casualty department at the hospital had been "bursting at the seams" for months, and the Accident and Emergency department was limited in physical infrastructure, while there was limited bed space. The writer claimed 20 or more patients were made to wait for beds and had to sit on chairs, sometimes for days, and some were discharged without having ever been warded.

The letter also said the situation was taking a toll on the staff who had to deal with warded patients in addition to their assigned job of emergency care. It added that the staff also had to deal with patients coming from outside the eastern region.

Tsoi-a-Fatt said there was nothing different going on with how the A&E department has been operating.

"All the hospitals in the country face peak times when you get plenty people coming in. But we do our best to manage that and to minimise the length of stay that patients have. In fact, we are doing upgrade work at the A&E.

"I don't understand why people wicked so. We don't have anything unusual going on at the A&E. We had a breakdown in the air-conditioning recently, and within a day it was repaired. So I don't understand."

As to the influx of patients from outside the hospital's catchment area, he said health care is universal in TT.

"If I choose to go to Mt Hope, nobody can turn me away. If I choose to go to San Fernando, nobody can turn me away.

"That in itself will tell you something about the person who is writing that."

Tsoi-a-Fatt also denied that the enhanced health centre was not helping with the patient flow.

"That is absolutely untrue, because of the number of patients we are seeing at the enhanced health centre every day, that opens from 8 am-8 pm.

"If those patients were not seen at the health centre, where will they be seen? Not at the hospital?

"So if we are seeing 200 patients at the clinic, where will those patients end up? At the hospital – so it must be having an impact at the hospital.

"If the numbers are high, then there is more illness in the nation, and people are coming where they need care. So that is mischief-making."