Higher number of crash victims needing emergency care at Cornwall Regional Hospital

By Prince Moore   

 

The Cornwall Regional Hospital is expressing concern about the number of people turning up to its Accident and Emergency Department with injuries from motor vehicle crashes.

 

The hospital is reporting a year to year increase in crash victims requiring emergency medical care.

 

Clinical Coordinator for the Western Regional Health Authority, Dr. Delroy Fray says crash victims have far surpassed people seeking treatment for bullet wounds.

 

Last month, 17 people turned up at the facility with bullet wounds.

 

By constrast, 89 crash victims presented to the A&E department during that same period.

 

While the number of gunshot wound victims appears to be declining, Dr. Fray told Radio Jamaica News that there has been a steady increase in crash victims seeking treatment at the hospital's Accident and Emergency Department.

 

"In 2021, we had 1,227 motor vehicle accidents cases at CRH Accident and Emergency Department. In 2022, we had 1,443. In 2023, we had 1,571. And up until the first week of September, we had 815 cases, but I did not get the data for July," he outlined.

 

Despite not having the figure for July, he extrapolated that even with another 90 cases in that month, the total number of cases the hospital would have seen up to present would be about 900. 

 

"Now, we are just in September. October, November, December, if we should follow that trend, we're going to see that we're going to surpass the 2023 figures," he warned. 

 

Dr. Fray said the increase in crash victims requiring emergency assistance is causing a delay for other people requiring medical attention. 

 

"The emergency cases that needs to go to operating theatre immediately, I can assure you that they are dealt with. But the cases like, you know, broken bones, stuff like that, that can be delayed for a week or two weeks; they are not going to get their operation immediately. We are going to be dealing with the cases that need emergency surgery all the time."

 

"And you have to remember, it's not only motor vehicle accidents or gunshot wounds that require emergency treatment. You have other aspects, you have obstetric cares that requires emergency treatment. So at all time, we have to prioritise," he explained.