The Modern Medical and Diagnostic Centre at Georgetown has been praised by Shadow Minister of Health Daniel Cummings for doing a “marvellous” job especially when compared to the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital.
Cummings who is usually very critical of the health care service in St. Vincent and the Grenadines told JP Schwmon on ANNSVG “On the Spot” programme last evening:
“If you compare the service there [Modern Medical Complex at Georgetown] with what is obtained at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, it is cheese to chalk.”
He chided other health facilities including the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH) for making the public feel as though they are ‘obstructing’ them. He also claimed that the staff are not welcoming to patients.
“Unfortunately, you get that type of reception at some components of the health care delivery system and that comes from a lack of training, a lack of leadership, a lack of management”
Speaking of the recently built Georgetown Centre which opened its doors in July 2018, Cummings believes that the environment has played a role in creating a new culture there.
“It’s a brand new facility…its well laid out, they have taken some of the best people from Kingstown and taken them out there but the bottom line in my humble opinion is the environment.”
According to the Ministry of Health, the facility was constructed at a cost of over $20 million EC by the Governments of Cuba and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines with assistance also from the Republic of South Korea.
The Complex is made up of surgical, Dialysis and outpatient units. Services offered include: Renal Dialysis for adults and children, Intensive Care, Endoscopy, Ophthalmology, Radiology, Ultrasound, Laboratory and General Medical and Surgical Consultations.
The West Kingstown MP who has called on current Minister of Health Hon Luke Browne to resign or be fired for what he termed ‘sleeping on the job’ said:
“When you are given a situation where you are placed in this new facility, well laid out, supplied with all the needed substances that you need, facilities, trained people and so forth, even the persons who push the wheel chair, you can feel they are not doing it because it’s a job, they are enjoying it, they are cautious, they’re asking questions and the environment has a lot to do with it.”
He continued to shower praise saying that the staff must be complimented for their work:
“The people who are in charge of that facility, I can say categorically, they are committed, they do a lot of training and they constantly work with the staff and that is what is needed. It is a classic example of what can be had throughout the health facilities in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”
“I publicly give praise to the staff of the modern hospital, modern facility in Georgetown. They do a marvellous job.”
In February last year, Minister of Finance Camillo Gonsalves presenting a half year report said:
“In the first six months of its operation, the Modern Medical & Diagnostic Centre (MMDC) in Georgetown received 4,300 Accident & Emergency visits and 1,800 lab visits.”
“Further, since opening its doors to the public in July 2018, the facility performed 4,900 tests; issued 3,700 prescriptions; conducted 1,100 X-rays, 2,500 ultrasounds and ECGs, 140 surgical procedures in the operating theatre; while treating 53 oncology patients (including 11 on chemotherapy) and 22 regular dialysis patients.”
1 Comment
Its just a shame it did not start to operate five years earlier than it did. The Cubans who built it were five year late in completing it.