Dialysis Unit patients under pressure

"Our health in jeopardy," said Innis Toussaint, a patient of the Dialysis Unit, who contacted Newsday last Thursday to complain that two machines were out of service and in need of repair.

One of them malfunctioned two weeks ago and is in need of a part, while the other "shut down" the day he called. Toussaint said the patient who was undergoing dialysis at the time the machine stopped must now wait until another machine is free to resume her treatment. "This is overbearing. The new machines were not maintained, and only when they shut down is maintenance done."

Three dialysis sessions take place daily starting from 7 am Monday through Saturday. Toussaint said the rest of the machines were limping along because they "cannot take the pressure."

He said the administrator at the EWMSC was aware of the problems as well as head of the unit, Dr Lesley Roberts. Communications manager for the North Central Regional Health Authority, Charmaine Codrington, on Friday said a part had been ordered for one machine and shipped to TT on December 27, but it has not yet been delivered to EWMSC. She said the other machine had been breaking down intermittently, and although technicians had checked it, they could find nothing wrong.

"Up to Friday it was working," Codrington said. She said the service contract for the machines lasted only one year. She announced that a tender had gone before the Board of Directors for the purchase of eight more machines. It was approved and a contract will be awarded. Codrington said unlike the previous arrangement, maintenance will be for five years.