UHWI says growth in population it serves causing overcrowding at A&E department

 

 

The University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) says the growth in the population it serves, rather than an increase in treatment for specific illnesses, has led to overcrowding at its Accident and Emergency Department.

 

The hospital, in the space of almost two weeks, has issued advisories warning the public that its Accident and Emergency Department is currently dealing with patient numbers beyond its normal capacity.

 

The UHWI says as a result of the increased demand, patients may experience longer-than-usual waiting times, particularly those whose conditions are assessed as less urgent. 

 

Helena Thomson, Senior Director of Nursing at the UHWI, says measures are being implemented to improve the flow of patients through the A&E department. 

 

"Sometimes the process is slow to move patients along from one area to another," she admitted, "so we look at that as well as to see how we can expedite that process...once the patient has been seen and a determination made whether this patient is for admission or to be discharged and moved on for care health outside of the facility. So we do sometimes have a bit of a delay in moving patients further down the line from the emergency unit or so to our wards."

 

Mrs. Thomson was speaking on Radio Jamaica's Beyond the Headlines on Wednesday.