More than 60 patients at UHWI waiting for beds

 

The University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) is reporting that 66  patients admitted at the facility are waiting for beds.

 

The hospital placed a temporary hold on accepting patient transfers due to an increase in the number of patients in its emergency room.

 

The hospital says 90 per cent of patients in the emergency room are presenting with complications from chronic non-communicable diseases.

 

Medical Chief of Staff at the University Hospital of the West Indies, Dr. Carl Bruce, says the disruption in healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated some medical conditions among patients. 

 

"They did not have proper control of their diabetes. Their blood pressure was going out of control. So they started developing problems, their cholesterol and circulatory problems, the diabetic foot, and all the complications, end stage renal disease, stroke and heart attacks, the ones that are the critical ones have all increased. And it's a challenge that we're dealing with worldwide," he lamented. 

 

Dr. Bruce was speaking Tuesday on Radio Jamaica's Beyond the Headlines.