BITTER complaints alleging horrendous treatment at the hands of some nurses, doctors and other workers in the public health care system by users, have pushed the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) to begin a series of customer service training for its staff in a bid to improve patients’ satisfaction.

According to SERHA — which administrates public health care to the largest population of Jamaica in the parishes of Kingston and St Andrew, St Catherine and St Thomas — between August to October 2019, 300 employees, including members of the contracted services at Princess Margaret Hospital, Liguanea Region, Bustamante Hospital for Children, Victoria Jubilee Hospital, and Spanish Town Hospital, have been trained. The training, it said, is ongoing.

Complaints about negative responses from doctors and nurses have been pouring in through SERHA’s patientcare@serha.gov.jm e-mail address, as well as on its social media pages — more so since this year — the Jamaica Observer has learnt.

Director of the Human Resource and Industrial Relations Department at SERHA, Pauline Roberts, in explaining the recent thrust, is on record as saying the training is aligned to the Ministry of Health and Wellness’s Compassionate Care Programme, which seeks to deliver quality services and to improve the standard of care at public health facilities.

Roberts said staff are trained in the major areas of customer service, leadership, patient focus, effective communications skills, accountability, and effective and efficient use of resources.

“This year, more staff will be trained because we are compelled to look closely at how we deliver services based on public perception, we understand that the state of mind of a patient is equally important to their well-being as their physical condition, so we ought to treat them well,” she noted, adding that the outcome of the training is also to motivate staff and to strategically create a less stressful working environment.

A post from a Twitter user about an experience at Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) this month, attracted some 30 replies on the social media platform, including a response from SERHA.

“Being poor is a crime in this country. I had to be strong and not let my cousin see me cry at KPH yesterday, but I bawled when I left, crying as I type this — is free health care worth it if health care providers treat patients like they are not people?” the user complained.

“Can’t you have persons go undercover and see the treatment of patients? You have a supervisorial problem,” one individual suggested.

“Speak up Jamaicans. For decades the health system has been like this. I was wondering if and when anyone would address this. Horror is real, doctors squeezing baby’s heads, nurses abuse patients that can’t move, gross negligence,” another user chimed in.

“Is either you going treat people right or go home, you know government not going to pay you nothing, which is sad, but if you know you can’t take the heat get out of the kitchen,” another stated in response to suggestions that the meagre salaries and long hours were part of the reason for the poor customer service experienced by some.

“I don’t think you can ever be fully prepared for the medical field, the long hours, disrespect from patients, the pay, would take a toll,” one seemingly sympathetic user noted.

“People are now getting what they paid for. They paid nothing. They will get nothing,” one user countered.

SERHA itself, in responding to the initial complaint, pledged that it would be in contact with that individual to “conduct further investigations”.

“I really hope you guys are serious about addressing this and the overall general tone of how patients are spoken to, addressed and treated when they go to health facilities,” another individual noted in response to the pledge.

“Yes, we are serious,” SERHA replied.

The Jamaica Labour Party, when it formed the Government in 2007, abolished user fees in the public health system for children under 18 years and then in 2008 introduced free health care for all users of facilities in the public health system, fulfilling a campaign promise.

— Alicia Dunkley-Willis