Sorry for patients at Port-of-Spain General Hospital

THE EDITOR: May I please share with you my experiences with the Trinidadian health services. Last Monday evening my father, who was with me on holiday in your country, suddenly became ill.

An emergency ambulance was called which arrived promptly. The ambulance staff, one of them named Narvin, acted very professionally. Being a medical doctor, I was impressed by their efficient performance and courtesy. However, the lack of equipment in the ambulance was disappointing. How can ambulance staff, however well-trained they may be, be expected to look after an emergency without items like a defibrillator and means of intravenous access? I can imagine their frustration in situations where they would like to help and to do what is necessary but cannot do so because of lack of basic equipment.

I went with my dad to Port-of-Spain General Hospital where my father was taken into a resuscitation bay in the Accident and Emergency Department. There he was looked after by a doctor from the United Nations programme. His name was Dr Elfmark and he and the nurse did a professional and efficient job. So far I was quite happy with the care my father received. All this changed when he was taken to the ward.

I could give you a list several pages long with examples of neglect, medical and nursing, I have seen there. Just one example: One patient is lying on his bed, bleeding from his arm, right in front of the nurses’ station. His urine is dripping on the floor. I mentioned this to the nurses. Eight hours later he was still bleeding, now his bed sheet almost completely soiled with his blood, his urine forming a big puddle under his bed. At this time, two nurses are fast asleep and a sister is listening to the radio. This has nothing to do with being understaffed and having too many patients, this is outright neglect and ignorance.

Needless to say, although my father was in a critical and unstable condition, no observations of his vital signs were done. He was not even put in a bed but had to stay in a wheelchair where he collapsed several times. He needed urgent blood tests, which the doctor on-call refused to do or was unable to do. I had to take the blood myself and my wife had to carry the blood sample to the laboratory. I eventually took my father to a private clinic in St Joseph where he received proper care. I do feel sorry for patients who are at the mercy of the staff in Port-of-Spain General Hospital. It is a disgrace, it is unethical. The fine people of your beautiful country deserve better than that.

DR ROLF VOGEL MRCA
130 Thompson Hill
High Green
GB-Sheffield S35 4JU