Falling through the cracks in a broken public health system
The circumstances surrounding the the untimely death of 63-year-old Carol Joseph-Alexander at the Point Fortin Area Hospital highlights many of the shortcomings in the public health system under this government.
If the account given by her daughters, surrounding her death, as reported in today’s Trinidad Guardian Newspaper, is correct, then the authorities have much to explain.
One has to ask what was the rush to discharge this patient a mere 6 hours after she presented with severe chest pain when in retrospect a proper diagnosis was not made?
The attitude of the attending nurses, as reported, leaves much to be desired and speaks to the need to treat with the few who continue to sully the name of the profession and sabotage the otherwise good work of the great majority of nurses in Trinidad and Tobago.
It is inexcusable that in any emergency department a patient could be allowed to collapse whilst awaiting a “second” triage.
When it became obvious that the treatment required to save this patient’s life was not available at the Point Fortin Area Hospital another major hurdle was the lack of a properly equipped ambulance to transfer her to the San Fernando General Hospital.
One can only wonder why the recently opened “spanking” new Point Fortin Hospital did not have the required facilities and expertise to treat this patient.
It is obvious that the public health system failed Mrs. Carol Joseph -Alexander.
The Minister of Health needs to investigate the circumstances surrounding this patient’s death as a matter of urgency.
Our citizens deserve better!
MP for Fyzabad,
Dr Lackram P Bodoe