Women’s hospital to start screening for bacteria

To prevent the recurrence of the enterobacter bacteria, Health Minister John Rahael yesterday said mothers and babies entering Mt Hope Women’s Hospital should undergo screening, such as swab tests, to ensure they are not bringing in the bacteria. He also said action would be taken against anyone found responsible for any deaths due to the bacteria. Speaking at the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing, Rahael said he expected to receive a report on the latest incident of enterobacter and the number of babies that died of the disease at the neonatal unit next week. “Some of the babies they identified did have the bacteria but not all of the babies died of the bacteria.” Early investigations have linked the latest infections to two infected babies.

Rahael reiterated that the hospital would be relocated to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex. Asked if he feared Government was opening itself up to lawsuits as a result of the NWRHA’s decision to dismiss the vice-president of quality with the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA), he said proper procedures were in place, but “what was required of the officer, they did not do.” Rahael said he was not aware of any legal ramifications for Government. He said the NWRHA has done all it can to ensure that another outbreak of enterobacter bacteria does not occur. Later in the afternoon, speaking to reporters at the graduation for participants in the Intensive Care Nursing Education Programme, Rahael said the health sector needed proper systems since there are many areas where there is no quality control or protocols to determine what measures to take. Another area requiring attention is to ensure medical personnel have “the necessary tools.”

He cited the pharmacy and said it must be equipped “so when a doctor prescribed a drug on the ward, it is available and the pharmacy will have it for the patient to receive.” Rahael said after these areas are satisfied, then workers will have to be held accountable. “You can’t hold people accountable if you did not provide them with the tools to do the job. My intention in the coming years is to ensure that in every area of health care, providers are given the necessary tools to do the job and they will be held accountable and action will be taken if they do not perform as expected.”