I had always
heard about the decaying health care system in Trinidad and Tobago but was
fortunate enough to never experience it. That is, until Wednesday 3rd
April 2013. Long story short, I became severely ill and had to be carded to the
Couva District Health Facility. I arrived shortly after 8 pm… to an empty
health centre. I thought, “The Gods must be smiling upon me! No patients! I
will breeze through here J!”
It didn’t last long. I had arrived during shift change. I sat, twiddled my
thumbs, trying my hardest to stay alive. Finally I was called to the nurse. It
was now about twenty to nine. I saw the nurse and then had to wait for the
doctor…again. I assumed that he was with a patient. After a few minutes
waiting, I heard boisterous talking and laughing and joking. “Maco-ing
slightly”, I saw a few nurses, two security guards and the doctor, engaged in
joyous celebrations. While I sat dying. Alone. Some ten minutes later the crowd
of workers dispersed and again hope filled my heart. I must be next! I smiled
at the lady next to me, pitying the wait she now had. If my illness didn’t kill
me, I was sure a heart attack would. The doctor came and called the lady by
name, hugged her and asked, “What’s the issue tonight?” My wait was far from
over. Later I learnt that that was one of his patients from his private
practice. When I was finally called at about ten past ten, I was half asleep,
half dead.
My diagnosis
was, “I’m not sure. I’d have to refer you to San Fernando. Carry this letter
with you. And I’d give you some antibiotics and painkillers. Go Sando as soon
as possible.”
Skip to
Friday 5th April 2013. After much prodding from my mother to go, I
arrived at the hospital at 10 am. I was registered at 10.50 am. Called to
Accident and Emergency at 11am. Saw a doctor at 4.30 pm. Had the IV tube inserted into my hand (sans
IV!) at 4.45pm. Warded at 7.15pm. Saw another doctor at 11.25pm. Discharged at
12.03am! I looked at the doctor. My parents were long gone and I definitely
could not have travelled home. I was given a bed at 12.37am, had the IV tube
removed at about 7.15am after begging for about ten minutes and finally left
the next morning at about 8am.
And I must
stress that, I WAS GIVEN NO TREATMENT FOR MY AILMENT. I must thank God for
being alive today to blog this.
The state of
disrepair in the health system is unbelievable. The physical building is dirty
and very unsanitary especially considering that there are people there trying
to heal. The doctors and nurses seem too complacent in their positions. The saw
more fraternization between nurses and doctors than I ever saw between friends
at UWI. Their camaraderie is commendable, but at the expense of what…of whom?
The chatting may build work relations but slow down the system. Instead of
treating the sick as soon as possible, they leave people there suffering only
to ward them later on when hospitalization may not have even been necessary.
Why is this
important to urban life? Good urban cities are defined by many things, one of
them being excellent services, especially health care, for the citizens. San
Fernando one of two cities in Trinidad and boasts of many achievements. Health
care, is not, CANNOT, be one of them. Trinidad and Tobago as a whole is trying
to achieve first world status. If we must satisfy certain requirements of the
Human Development Index (HDI), then we have a long way to go in term of health
care.
The
newspapers, the reporters, they always have something to say about the health
care system in T&T. It’s time for the persons in charge to look up and
shape up. The problems that plague the system are not limited to only a lack of
beds. It’s also a lack of medication in the hospitals and health centres. That
makes the CDAP programme useless. It’s the lack of proper diagnoses for
patients or the lack of treatment for the issues at hand. It’s the lack of
respect the doctors and nurses have toward patients. It’s the lack of proper
sanitation within the hospital walls.
(San Fernando General Hospital)
Each
administration that comes into government and fails to acknowledge these
issues, fails the people. Every time a patient dies due to negligence, the
government should be catapulted into action.
A healthy
population is a productive population and this productivity will manifest in
every other sphere in Trinidad. In urban centres, where population density is
high, the chances for medical calamity are also high. If a contagious disease
breaks out, the percentage of people that may contract it may skyrocket if
preventative measures are not rapidly put into place. And what would be our
position then? The health care system may very well collapse due to the volume
of people. Do we need to wait for calamity to fix a problem that should not
even exist?
My story is
only one of many experienced by the people of this country. There are problems that need to be addressed,
and quickly.
The San
Fernando Teaching Hospital is meant to train doctors and absorb some of the
excess from the San Fernando General Hospital. It is expected to open its doors
in the coming months and help thousands of people. But, if we don’t pay
attention, we’d end up in the same position that we are in right now. We need
to take the opportunity to teach the doctors how to doctor while we have the
chance. It’s not only about the number of medical terms you know and the number
of patients that don’t die under your care. It’s about treating people in the
right way at the right times to lessen pain and reduce undue stress on both
parties. And from there, the health care system may start to turn right around
and once again people will have faith in the system.
Source: www.news.gov.tt
How this is relating to the Urban?
ReplyDeleteI think this story is absolutely despicable. I'm so sorry, Arielle!
Well done to document this!