HEALTH Minister Dr Fenton Ferguson has ordered the boards of all four Regional health Authorities to conduct performance reviews of their regional directors, technical directors, parish managers, and hospital chief executive officers.

He said this is to “ensure that we have the right persons in the right places. From here on, it cannot be business as usual”, Dr Ferguson said Wednesday, while addressing a press conference to announce the main findings of an audit of certain aspects of the public health care system, which he ordered in May.

In the meantime, Dr Ferguson said the draft customer service policy for the sector is now ready and is being reviewed by a committee.

The minister last year announced a 2015 target for implementation of the policy, which will lay down the minimum standard of service delivery in public health institutions.

For years there have been complaints from patients of being mistreated and abused by staff while accessing medical care at various facilities. Visitors have also cited instances of unprofessional and abusive behaviour from staff at these facilities.

Dr Ferguson said “although not revealed by the audit”, the significant complaints received were not about specific medical care, but “those things which will improve comfort during hospital stay such as regular turning, feeding, dressing, and changing”.

He said although the ministry continues to encourage the assistance of friends and relatives with these needs, it will be employing 150 patient care assistants, 213 nurses, and 200 community health aides. “We also recently assigned 181 medical interns and 106 senior house officers to facilities across the island,” he revealed.

— Alphea Saunders