Dr Carl Bruce - file photo
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Persons with chronic non-communicable diseases are being severely affected by the pressure placed on hospitals by COVID-19 patients, with many left waiting for beds to be treated.
Dr Carl Bruce, Medical Chief of Staff at the University Hospital of the West Indies, has revealed that, in addition to COVID-19 patients who are without beds at the facility, there are at least 20 non COVID patients awaiting beds on a daily basis.
Dr. Bruce, speaking Sunday on Radio Jamaica's That's a Rap, explained that these non-COVID patients include persons with heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, hypertension and rheumatic diseases.
He said the hospital continues to open its various clinics at lower capacities, but some patients have been staying away.
He added that the hospital has been trying its best to stay in contact with its non-COVID patients with chronic illnesses, reaching some of them through tele-medicine.
Dr. Bruce says a study will have to be done on the impact COVID-19 has had on mortality rates in other patient groups.
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