CHAIRMAN of the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) James Moss-Solomon is assuring medical professionals that all is in place at St Joseph’s Hospital to facilitate the temporary relocation of patients and staff.

A number of resident doctors, consultants and nurses at the hospital have raised concerns about the intention to transfer patients currently at UHWI’s Accident and Emergency Department, who have been waiting for beds to become available on wards for up to five days, according to a source.

“We have been having discussions for over a year now to use, currently about 12 beds at St Joseph’s Hospital, for medical patients, and we are making arrangements to have that done,” Moss-Solomon told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

“We have [a] problem with spaces [on wards] to transfer medical patients into. It is causing a lot of congestion in Accident and Emergency, with people waiting there for long periods to get transferred [to wards]. We are trying to find other places that we can put what would be relatively stable medical patients, and so far we have been able to come to an agreement,” Moss-Solomon said.

He explained further that the solution is temporary and will take effect before mid-April.

“In the interest of the patients, we have to utilise whatever facility that we can manage. We have been having a long discussion with both nurses and doctors, as to [how] it can be made feasible, and they have made their input and we are going along with that,” Moss-Solomon said.

Yesterday, Nurses’ Association of Jamaica President Carmen Johnson told the Observer that the nurses at the institution have raised concerns about the facilities at St Joseph’s Hospital.

“Nurses have asked questions or had some concerns as to the preparedness and readiness of the area to accommodate the patients, and so they are saying, ‘Can we have the area ready before we go, ’cause certain basic things must be in place in order to manage these patients and to manage an emergency if it should arise’,” Johnson said.

In response to their concerns, the chairman said the only thing that is left to be done is organising the shifts to offer full coverage at St Joseph’s Hospital.

Concerns were also raised that, after the temporary relocation is completed, resident physicians might not have any coverage from consultants, as is required by protocol.

“We will have coverage no matter what, by both consultant and the necessary medical staff. This has been planning for over one year. The situation in our Accident and Emergency room is intolerable and inhumane, because I have 40 to 50 people waiting there. Cornwall Regional is closed… almost effectively. KPH (Kingston Public Hospital) is full.

“We are getting every kind of emergency here and we are also getting emergencies that are transferred from other hospitals to us. We are a referral hospital, and I must find a way to treat our patients in a humane way,” the chairman said.

The chairman noted yesterday that all stakeholders were in agreement that something ought to be done to combat the congestion at the facility.

“Some people may disagree and some people will agree, but all of us are 100 per cent agreed on the fact that the overflow of all of these problems coming to our Accident and Emergency is creating a timing problem for us.

“It is taking too long to get the patients into where they need to be. We are crowded in there, we have accommodated as best we can, but it is not a satisfactory solution. We must try to do something. We cannot sit down and do nothing,” the chairman added.