FOR several hospitals across the island trauma cases have been putting a heavy strain on medical resources, frustrating doctors and other medical personnel and costing the Government considerable financial expenditure to provide care for victims.

Though chief medical officer in the Ministry of Health and Wellness Dr Jacquiline Bisasor-McKenzie was not able to provide the annual cost for trauma cases at public hospitals, she said just one trauma case can have a team of doctors and nurses around that patient for hours. In fact, one official report in 2017 — The Cost of Care report prepared by the Violence Prevention Alliance in collaboration with the Health Ministry and other agencies — saw Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton commenting that trauma cases account for 59 per cent of the ministry’s resources.

“The resources that it takes up — lab works, radiology works, use of operating theatre, possibly intensive care — the cost is significant,” Dr Bisasor-McKenzie explained.

Dr Bisasor-McKenzie, who was speaking at a recent Jamaica Observer Press Club, added that multi-trauma patients require more resources. “For instance, a gunshot usually injures one part of the body. Now, of course, that one part of the body may be the neck and it may go through the cervical spine and that could end up using a lot of resources,” she said.

The four health-care facilities from which the Observer obtained statistics up to October of this year are Spanish Town in St Catherine; May Pen in Clarendon; Princess Margaret in St Thomas and Mandeville Regional in Manchester.

At Spanish Town Hospital, there were 1,500 motor vehicle accidents, 255 stab wounds, 479 blunt injuries, 156 gunshot wounds, 249 intentional lacerations, 97 other assaults, 70 sexual assaults/rape, 63 attempted suicides, 905 accidental lacerations, 24 fires, 12 chemical burns, 47 hot liquid injuries, 14 intentional burns, 24 other burns, 59 animal bites, 18 human bites, three drowning/near drownings, and 1,380 falls.

That list was provided by Jacqueline Ellis, CEO at Spanish Town Hospital, and her team members Dr Khalila Bullock from the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department and Senior Medical Officer Dr Jacqueline Wright-James.

The medical team told the Observer that trauma cases constitute at least 10 per cent of patients who are presented to the A&E Department. The officials said as the hospital grapples with the novel coronavirus pandemic, there is an added strain on resources.

“It is like a tsunami engulfing our already stretched human resources. A significant consequence is a cost to the other patients who present with non-traumatic illnesses and often must have their treatment delayed while the more urgent trauma cases are cared for. The hospital’s already limited resources must be utilised to save these lives in the moment and sometimes there is little left to take care of the patients who are waiting with non-traumatic illnesses,” the medical team said.

At May Pen Hospital, data from a senior medical officer showed there were 555 motor vehicle accidents, 51 gunshots, 52 stab wounds, 43 rapes, 100 intentional lacerations, 214 unintentional lacerations, 24 attempted suicides, 410 blunt injuries, six human bites and 90 other assaults.

The medical officer explained that at times, trauma cases require intensive care, which is not offered at the hospital.

“We are sometimes unable to transfer patients and end up using the ventilator from the main operating theatre to keep patients alive until space is available at the receiving hospital. This results in elective patients’ surgeries being postponed and emergency patients being delayed. The staff is also overworked, as there are only a few specialist nurses available to manage critical patients,” the medical officer said.

Meanwhile at Mandeville Regional Hospital, data provided by Senior Medical Officer Dr Everton McIntosh showed there were 595 motor vehicle accidents, 11 gunshot wounds, 51 stabbings, 102 blunt trauma injuries, 31 sexual assaults and 130 other assaults.

Speaking about the use of medical supplies, Dr McIntosh said trauma cases typically consume large amounts of supplies including disposables, oxygen, drugs and blood.

“The consumption and blood products by trauma cases will often force the cancellation or postponement of major surgeries due to a lack of blood,” he shared.

He also noted that trauma cases require a lot of time in the operating theatre for emergency surgeries, which often contributes to the cancellation or postponement of elective surgeries.

Meanwhile, at Princess Margaret, information received from the senior management team showed that there were 482 motor vehicle accidents, 34 stab wounds, 87 blunt injuries, 24 gunshot wounds, 80 intentional lacerations, 312 other assaults, 390 accidental lacerations, four chemical burns, 27 hot liquid injuries, 97 animal bites, 23 human bites, eight intentional bites and 515 falls.

At all four hospitals, information received indicates there is usually an upward trend in trauma cases during public holidays such as Easter, Independence, and Christmas.