Caribbean Times 89th Issue - Friday 9th September 2016

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2 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g Friday 9th September 2016 Making MSJMC more efficient By Everton Barnes Senior managers at the Mount St. John’s Medical Centre MSJMC) have revealed that there is an over-supply of beds at the health institution and they are currently implementing a number of measures aimed at improving overall efficiency at the country’s public hospital. The Medical Director of Editor’s Note Caribbean Times is printed and published at Woods Estate/Friars Hill Road. The Editor is Justin Peters. Contact: Caribbean Times, P.O. Box W2099, Woods Estate/Friars Hill Road, St. John’s, Antigua. Tel: (268) 562-8688, Fax: (268) 562-8685. Visit us online at our website: www. caribbeantimes.ag We ask you to send: Pertinent news items to news@caribbeantimes.ag. Advertisement inquiries to accounts@caribbeantimes.ag. Letters to the editor to editor@caribbeantimes.ag By Joanna Paris The Potworks Dam now has the welcoming amount of 100 million gallons of water. Speaking during the weekly Cabinet press briefing on Thursday, Minister of Information, the Hon. Melford Nicholas indicated that the country’s executive is very pleased with this divine development. He told the press that the Minister with responsibility for Utilities, the Hon. Robin Yearwood also expressed happiness with the level of the water mark where one of the country’s largest water catchment is concerned. MSJMC, Dr. Albert Duncan and the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Rhonda Sealy-Thomas this week briefed the Cabinet on the improvements and the existing challenges that are being addressed, in the twelve-month period since the Director assumed his function on September 1 st last year. The Medical Director reported that there is an issue of over-capacity at the hospital with 184 beds but only between 68 to 75 patients occupying beds on any given day. “There is overcapacity of 100 beds that may be required in the event of a national emergency. However, the deployment of the nursing and support staff and the administrative personnel must be better organized,” the Director suggested. According to Dr. Duncan the hospital employs 78 doctors and 186 nurses; not all doctors are on staff, many are consultants. However, the Cabinet was informed that the old model of male wards and female wards had to be abandoned in order to maximize the nursing staff complement and the deployment of doctors. “There are now male rooms and female rooms, all on the same floor, allowing for improvement in the use of the hospital staff. There is also a complete review of the inventory system to be completely computerized, allowing the doctors and nurses to be informed of the supplies that are (or are not) available,” he explained. The re-supply of necessities will be vastly improved, the Cabinet was told, when the system is completely computerized. The medical director also announced plans to re-organise other areas of the hospital’s operation. He told the Cabinet that with a payroll of 567, as many as can, will be retrained in order to meet the demands of a modern healthcare facility. The Director also reported on reduced waiting time in the Emergency Room of the MSJMC. In hospitals in North America, he noted, waiting time can be up to three hours; the Director reported that average wait time in the MSJMC Emergency Room is about 3 hours. The object is to reduce that wait time to as little as two hours, on average. Dr. Duncan also reported that the Operating Room is the nerve center of any hospital and every effort is being made to improve the tools, supplies and other needs of the operating room. There are three operating rooms at the MSJMC. “There are scores dialysis patients at the MSJMC, with an increase of 6 patients annually. Renal transplants, planned for this year, will likely be postponed until the MSJMC can undertake the first transplant without any impediments to success,” the Director reported. He added that cardiology, neurosurgery, pediatric surgery and technical applications of radiology are commonplace challenges. More trained radiologists are required. 100 million gallons in Potworks Dam “The amount of surface water certainly will allow them to be able to distil at the water treatment, some of that surface water will be put back into the grid, so this is definite great news”, said the Information Minister. He further indicated that the government plans to continue work to clean the land but admitted that the recent rainfall will delay efforts since it is now covered in water. The V.C Bird International Airport recorded 4.5 inches of rain but there are reports indicating that some areas recorded as much as 7 inches.
Friday 9th September 2016 c a r i b b e a n t i m e s . a g 3 Royal Antiguan owners get ultimatum By Everton Barnes The owners of the Royal Antiguan Hotel have until the end of this month to demonstrate their seriousness about upgrading the resort or face a takeover by the government. This comes as the Cabinet reviewed its decision regarding the Resort at its weekly meeting on Wednesday. The Cabinet noted that since it first announced its intention to acquire the property for a public purpose, in March 2016, nothing has happened. “The current owners have made many promises and The body of young Prince returns home A week after passing away at the Hospitalier Universitaire de Martinique, the body of young burn victim Jayden Prince arrived at the V C Bird International Airport this afternoon. Following a two-hour delay, the remains of the three-year old landed at 2:47 pm and in the presence of his father, Eddy Prince, one of his uncles and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health Walter Christopher, the black draped coffin was removed from the Regional Security System (RSS) Air Wing, which transported his mother home two days before him, and loaded into the hearse. The RSS has a history of assisting in any way possible when tragedy strikes citizens of the Caribbean region. Then under escort from the Royal Antigua and Barbuda Police Force, the remains of the young Jennings resident were taken to the Barnes Funeral Home where his mother was taken two days earlier. Both Jayden and his mother, Gayan Williams were among a family of five who were forced to rush from their home in the wee hours of the morning in late August because of a fire in the house. Williams and young Prince sustained second degree burns and were flown out of the country to Guadeloupe and Martinique respectively where they both died. have not kept their word to spend a considerable sum of money to upgrade the property and to employ more workers,” Cabinet spokesman Lionel Max Hurst has reported. He recalled that the hotel was constructed in 1988 and soon after hosted its first CARICOM Conference. The hotel was sold to a new owner by the United Progressive Party shortly after its 2004 victory at a fraction of its value. The owner paid US$12 million, promised to pay an additional US$6 million and to spend US$12 million on improvements. “The ABLP administration is persuaded that the new owners spent little on improvements. In fact, the number of employees at the hotel has plummeted. Even the UPP Ministers acknowledged that the UPP had been “hoodwinked” by the buyer,” Hurst revealed. He said the government has been trying to get that same owner to invest in the hotel’s upgrade but nothing has happened. Lots of promises but no action. “The Cabinet agreed that if by the end of September 2016 and there is no tangible action by the owner, then the Government will move to acquire,” Hurst declared.
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Caribbean Times 89th Issue - Friday 9th September 2016

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