CASTRIES, St. Lucia--Occupational health and safety hazards now add to multiple issues at the St. Jude hospital in St. Lucia, which is housed at the George Odlum National Stadium in Vieux-Fort, as roof demolition and medical operations are conducted simultaneously.
The St. Jude Hospital facilities were moved to the sports stadium in 2009, following a fire and the death of three patients. At the time of the fire, the previous United Workers Party (UWP) administration was in office and directed the temporary relocation to the George Odlum Stadium.
Former chairman of the board of St. Jude Dr. Ulric Mondesir described the current facilities at the stadium as the most shameful and deplorable of conditions and a “dungeon” of shame nine years after the fire.
On resuming office in June 2016, the current UWP administration under Prime Minister Allen Chastanet stopped the St. Jude Hospital Reconstruction Project (SJHRP) indefinitely and commissioned a technical audit at the cost of EC $980,000.
The opposition St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP) spokesperson for health and parliamentary representative for Vieux-Fort North, Moses Jn Baptiste, said the party has received many reports of health-related incidents connected to the removal of fiberglass material by contractors who are currently working on the roof of the stadium.
At the same time, patients, medical staff and the public have to access the facility.
“Reports have increased ... with a medical doctor publicly confirming her own experience with exposure to the fiberglass particles emanating from the current work on the roof of the National Stadium. In addition, nurses and other staff of the hospital are also reporting negative reactions since the commencement of the work on the roof of the hospital,” Baptiste said.
“The St. Lucia Labour Party is alarmed that the UWP government allows the contractor to continue work on the roof, even after many daily reports are surfacing of the negative effects on the health of patients, visitors and staff.
“The St. Lucia Labour Party is calling on the administration of the hospital and representatives of the workers to ensure that the work is stopped until adequate safeguards are taken to protect the well-being of the workers and patients,” he continued.
Meanwhile, the St. Lucia Medical and Dental Association (SLMDA) has presented a position paper “for a high quality public healthcare system, as well as its doubts about the policy and structural changes currently underway in response to the failed existing public health service on island.”
According to the SLMDA:
“It is very unfortunate that doctors, nurses and health-workers continue to labour and deliver healthcare services to a very deserving public in a most embarrassing, unhealthy, inhumane and undignified environment at our national health facilities.
“The Ministry of Health [MOH – Ed.], as the principal agent responsible for policy direction, overall management, oversight, and quality assurances has for many years until now seemed dysfunctional. There appears to be a disconnect of sorts between the MOH and the political directorate, with no clearly defined, documented healthcare policy or strategic outline to navigate this healthcare crisis.
“This failure of the healthcare delivery system demands that we recreate a consciousness that is rooted in a need to reshape and replace a broken culture of poor governance by the policymakers, which has resulted in this healthcare crisis.”
“SLMDA must be provided a seat at the table of healthcare policy direction and implementation/delivery, for active and direct participation to advise and guide through consultations, to secure the legitimate interests of our members and the right of the public to equitable, accessible, affordable and quality healthcare services.
“Given the substantial investment of public funds in the St. Jude Hospital Reconstruction Project (SJHRP), notwithstanding there might have been failures of proper project management procedures, it is humanly unconscionable not to complete the St. Jude Hospital as promised to the people of St. Lucia.”
Chastanet has apparently conceded his administration’s failure to resolve the healthcare crisis and the St. Jude hospital situation when he commended the staff of St. Jude hospital for working in “deplorable” conditions.
In the midst of this, Canada, a major tourism market for St. Lucia, has issued a travel advisory that says, “Exercise a high degree of caution in St. Lucia due to limited medical resources, generally poor road conditions, unreliable public transportation, and moderate crime rates.”
Former prime minister and the parliamentary representative for Vieux-Fort South, Dr. Kenny Anthony, said he is deeply disturbed by the events unfolding at the St. Jude Hospital.
“I have been briefed on the ill-health experienced by medical staff and patients at the institution. A number of doctors and nurses have become ill following contact with material contained in the old roof, and have had serious allergic reactions, warranting sick leave. Despite this, the government has not called a stop to the ongoing works,” Anthony said.
It has also been discovered that no approvals were granted by the Development Control Authority to undertake the replacement of the roofs of the stadium.
“It is ironic that Guy Joseph, the minister of economic development, who frequently justified the stoppage of work on the original St. Jude project and indeed, other projects initiated by the former SLP government on the ground that the planning approval processes were incomplete, should now embark on replacing the roofs of the stadium without planning approval.
“What is worse is that the government displays total contempt for the staff and employees of the hospital. This government operates with impunity, disdain and disregard for the citizens of this country. This is unacceptable,” Anthony added. ~ Caribbean News Now! ~
