Truth behind the lie

However, the wave of complaints that followed the report tells us that there continues to be dissatisfaction with the level of security at these institutions which are operational 24/7, and this ruse – from the comments it generated – should remind us that security at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital is a matter of concern not only for doctors and nurses but for all citizens who rely on access to public healthcare institutions.

As a result of Sunday’s incident, doctors were virtually readying themselves to turn away patients in protest, not only over the supposed robbery but regarding the litany of security breaches which have been occurring for quite some time. We breathe a sigh of relief that any such action is now behind us and that nothing is done to put members of the public at risk. Doctors are an essential service and they must feel completely desperate if they are threatening action.

The Port-of-Spain General Hospital is a large compound and it is important that adequate resources are deployed to ensure that it is kept safe. A medical facility must be a safe space for medical staff and members of the public alike.

The crime situation is so bad that it is not unforeseeable that a wounded man, shot by criminals, could then be attacked within the precincts of a hospital, threatening not only that victim’s safety, but the safety of onlookers. Just this thought alone underlines why it was unacceptable on Sunday that guards were missing in action, and this is not from the lips of the lying intern, but colleagues whom she forced into revealing their observations and their discomfort.

We wonder about the status of CCTV cameras at the hospital.

Are the monitoring systems currently in place effective? Because a hospital never sleeps, the security at that hospital must also never sleep. There must be a constant rotation of shifts. Is there enough manpower in this regard? Are guards currently overworked? “We need a police presence in here because of how open the hospital is. Gunplay from gangsters is a real possibility. The guards are absent from their booths. When you make a check, instead of them going on foot patrol, they sit on chairs and sleep,” one doctor was quoted as saying in a Newsday report yesterday.

Earlier this year, a nurse at the St James Medical Complex was raped at that compound, and last year, an orthopaedic consultant was threatened by a man brandishing a gun on one of the wards in the city hospital. This does not bode well for other hospitals around the country.

The doctors at Port-of-Spain General are demanding that a police post be placed at the hospital, better lighting and cameras be installed in dark and quiet areas, and that a complete overhaul of the security detail takes place.

Due consideration must be given to all of these requests.

In that context we applaud the immediate move by the CEO and general manager of operations, North West Regional Health Authority, for holding what have been described as very productive talks with the North West Doctors’ Association at the Portof- Spain General Hospital with a view to resolving any security issues that may be relevant.

As much as the reported robbery was a lie, the truth is there are far too many reported shortcomings and lingering concerns.