North-east hospitals gearing up for increase in trauma cases

 

Hospitals in the north-east region are gearing up for an increase in trauma cases which is typical at this time of the year.

 

Fabia Lamm, Regional Director for the North-East Regional Health Authority (NERHA), said patients experiencing the negative effects of the high temperatures are also expected to visit Accident & Emergency departments.

 

However, in an interview with Radio Jamaica News, the regional director said hospitals are currently operating within their capacities. 

 

"Usually, at this time what we see most is the increase in trauma cases from the motor vehicle accidents. [With] the holiday period people are moving around and we are on the north coast belt. But the feedback from my clinicians and CEOs is that the emergency severity index which is what they use to test the numbers at their A&E departments has not significantly increased as yet," she revealed. 

 

Ms Lamm was speaking against the background of the Ministry of Health advising the public to expect longer waiting times at A&E departments due to the increasing number of patients requiring care.

 

NERHA comprises the Port Antonio, Port Maria, Annotto Bay and St. Ann's Bay regional hospitals.

 

Ms Lamm said hospital CEOs in the north-east region have also taken note of the discussion surrounding an increase in COVID-19 cases in St. Thomas.

 

She said there is no concern in St. Ann, St. Mary and Portland at this time. 

 

"We are closely monitoring especially Portland which would border St. Thomas on the east. But we are not...seeing any spike in the numbers that we would normally see per month, which is usually below one per cent."

 

Still, she said the health facilities in the region have "put things in place just to increase our surveillance" and monitor the situation. 

 

Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton told Parliament on Tuesday that the island is experiencing an uptick in COVID-19 cases as a result of subvariants of the Omicron variant.

 

He has urged Jamaicans not to panic, but to protect themselves against the virus.