[UPDATED] Cedros residents worried as Pt Fortin hospital now for covid19 patients only

THE new Point Fortin Hospital will now house and care for covid19 patients only.

All other patients will be transferred to the San Fernando Hospital, and the Accident and Emergency Department in Point Fortin will not be functional.

Emergency cases are asked to go to San Fernando or to the Siparia District Health Facility.

The South-West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) announced this in a press release on Friday.

It said, “Next of kin of transferred patients can contact 464-6745 (Monday to Friday/8 am-4pm) for information on loved ones.

“The Point Fortin Health Centre service hours have been extended to 8 am-8 pm daily. For emergency ambulance service, please call 811.”

The SWRHA explained, “The Ministry of Health authorised the decant and conversion of the hospital in order to increase the care capacity for covid19 patients."

It asked patients and clients to contact its Customer Care Centre at 87-SWRHA (877-9742) "for any matter in relations to healthcare.”

The new $1.2 billion hospital, at the corner of Techier Road and the Point Fortin Main Road, was opened in July 2020. It became fully operational in March 2021.

It has 100 beds and offers services including general medicine, general surgery, a burns unit, psychiatry, paediatric/adolescence, high dependency and accident and emergency.

Other services include: general x-ray, CT scans, general ultrasound, mammography, laboratory services and endoscopy.

Patients previously had to go to the San Fernando General Hospital for CT scans and x-rays, among other things.

Its predecessor, and now covid19 step-down facility on Volunteer Road, Mahaica, had 39 beds. Built by Shell in the 1930s as a hospital for its employees, it was donated to the government in 1967.

After the news broke, several residents of Point Fortin and environs expressed concern and frustration.

For instance, people from Icacos were worried because that hospital is the nearest 24-hour health facility. It takes over an hour to get to the Point Fortin Hospital from Icacos, and getting to San Fernando takes an additional hour.

One Facebook user said, "Better equip Cedros Health Centre for emergency then? At least it’s in between, People can have access to medical care!"

Another said, "This is unacceptable! In emergency cases people from Point Fortin and environs have to go to San Fernando! Madness! Before a person leaves home from Cedros to seek emergency treatment at San Fernando, it's possible they will die before reaching there."

At the Health Ministry's virtual press conference on Wednesday, principal medical officer Dr Maryam Abdool-Richards warned hospital space in the parallel healthcare system was running out. She said patients at traditional hospitals would soon be affected.

Newsday contacted Cedros councillor Shankar Teelucksingh who said he supports any adjustments SWRHA has to do to contain the virus.

But he too agreed the health centres should now be able to handle emergency cases that are not covid19 related.