Neonatal head speaks out

The public disclosure by Dr Petronella Manning-Alleyne, Head of the Neonatal Department of the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, that there were urgently required items at the hospital’s unit that have been out of service for the past five months and in need of repair must give rise to serious concern. Two of the items — ventilators — which are under repair have been in service since the late 1980s and “deemed obsolete.”  But as shocking as Dr Manning-Alleyne’s statement has been, even more disturbing has been her revelation that there were pieces of equipment at the hospital which had been acquired by the North-West Health Authority, under whose control the hospital falls, without reference to relevant officials and which was of no use.

What Dr Manning-Alleyne has exposed has been a gross waste of public funds even as the need for certain equipment remained not filled.  While the Neonatal Department Head has not called the names or offices of the persons responsible for these shortcomings, the fact that the charges have been made by the Head of the Department involved demands that what she has pinpointed should be investigated.  And this particularly so since the availability or  otherwise of crucially needed equipment in her department could mean life or death for several babies. We wish to make clear that it would be shortsighted for the North-West Regional Health Authority to seek to institute disciplinary measures against  Dr Manning-Alleyne for having had the courage to speak out against the dismissive treatment the Authority appears to have handed down with respect to the affording of proper health care for newly born babies at the institution.  These babies deserve the same chance at survival as other babies born at any of the several private hospitals in the country.

It is inexcusable that it should have been necessary for the Neonatal Department head to have to point out that in her 22 years at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital it had been a struggle to obtain equipment for the department. Was it the fault of a few uncaring officials, or was it a weakness in the system that allowed this monstrous indifference to have continued, virtually unchecked, and for so long? Or did individuals believe that Mrs Manning-Alleyne, because of her familial ties, would not have spoken out for fear that weak minds would have accused her of doing so on the strength of these ties. Dr Manning-Alleyne is the sister of Prime Minister Patrick Manning. Nonetheless, her speaking out was critical, and hopefully, the deficiencies in the system identified by her, for example the willy-nilly ordering of equipment without first seeking the advice of those qualified to offer it; having equipment out of service for months and in need of repairs, and using equipment “deemed obsolete” will be firmly tackled and brought to an end.

It is not simply a question of equipment.  It is a question of the lives and/or welfare of human beings too young, clearly, to speak out for themselves. It is an indifference which frightens. And while the Authority’s Chief Executive Officer, Cynthia Carrington-Murray, has expressed disappointment at Dr Manning-Alleyne’s statements, we and the country would have felt better had the CEO outlined steps which the NWRHA is taking or has taken to ensure that the problems identified by the Neonatal Department head are addressed. It is the clear affecting of the quality of the health care afforded by the NWRHA at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital and other health institutions under its umbrella that is the issue.