Underscoring the “critical” challenges facing Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH), the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) said yesterday that three wards remain closed due to the need for renovations, and only three of eight operating theaters are functioning due in part to staffing challenges and the need for parts for critical equipment, which is being impacted by financial and supply chain challenges.

Responding to questions from The Nassau Guardian, the PHA said it was awaiting the allocation of funding to carry out needed renovations.

Forty-five beds in the hospital are not available for use, the authority said.

PHA said Male Medical I was removed from service due to water intrusion which reduced the bed capacity by 16 in 2019.

Male Surgical II was removed from service in 2018 due to water intrusion and a condemned AC system which reduced bed capacity by 14 beds.

The Eye Ward was removed from service in 2022 due to structural concerns with the flooring which reduced bed capacity by 15 beds.

Female Surgical Wards I and II returned to service on Monday upon the completion of the necessary repairs to the AC system, PHA said.

This returned 25 beds for service.

The PHA also said the hospital has available 53 COVID beds which add to the official bed count but are limited in use due to their purpose and current function.

Asked when these wards will be renovated, PHA said, “COVID-19 delayed the necessary repairs to the respective wards due to access to the hospital and related challenges. We await the allocation of funding to proceed with the necessary renovations.”

The PHA said that while the PMH has maintenance schedules, it is facing challenges with procurement of parts due to vendors’ availability and delays in shipping.

The authority also addressed staffing challenges in response to Nassau Guardian questions.

Asked whether it is true that it is almost impossible to maintain ordinary levels of service in the Intensive Care Unit, operating theaters, Dialysis Unit and Accident and Emergency Department due to a shortage of trained, registered nurses, the PHA said, “In some areas, we are operating at reduced levels due to our staffing shortages inclusive of nurses, anaesthetists, and anaesthetic assistants.”

It said dialysis is functioning with nurses and trained technicians.

Retention and recruitment of nurses has long been a subject of discussion in relation to healthcare at PMH.

The PHA explained just how much of a challenge the country’s health system faces in this crucial area.

PHA noted that many nurses have been recruited by the United States of America and Canada, which has resulted in nurses leaving the PHA.

It said, “This is a shared crisis among other Caribbean countries and while we are not able to compete with their compensation and benefits package, we are reviewing what we can do to retain our current nursing staff. We are also actively seeking opportunities with English-speaking countries to recruit the registered nurses we need to meet our needs across the PHA.”

In response to a question, the PHA also said, “The onboarding of Cuban nurses provided us the necessary support and shared manpower for our nursing staff. However, this presented challenges with a language barrier. We are hopeful that our ongoing efforts to recruit from English-speaking countries will afford us an opportunity to meet our most critical staffing needs.”

The PHA confirmed that the waiting list for patients needing non-urgent surgical attention has grown, blaming the COVID-19 pandemic response.

With regard to the renovation of the Accident and Emergency (A&E) section of PMH, the authority said, “The Urgent and Emergency Care Project began in 2017 with construction beginning in 2019. We anticipate this project to continue, with possible completion within 18-22 months as we navigate the construction process while maintaining the hospital’s day-to-day operations.”

Critical state

The PHA also said the challenges facing PMH and other PHA facilities are not “catastrophic” but are, rather, “critical” and that those challenges must be addressed “aggressively and with expediency”.

“What we are experiencing [are] decades of challenges within our facilities, with our recruitment and retention exercises and overall, our implementation and enforcement of policies and procedures,” it said.

“We do not wish to understate or diminish the dire state of our hospitals as we want the Bahamian public to be fully aware of our challenges, but we welcome the public to partner with us to improve our hospitals and re-imagine the PHA and PMH.”

The PHA asserted that the public could assist by only utilizing the Accident and Emergency Department for emergencies, by adopting and promoting healthier lifestyles that would reduce the challenges due to noncommunicable diseases.

The PHA said the current state of affairs is not ideal, but it is manageable by the dedicated teams across the PHA and PMH.

“The team members are stretched, but resilient in their commitment to administer quality care to all patients,” it said.

“We must address this at both ends, to ensure we are procuring the necessary equipment and resources, recruiting, and retaining trained healthcare professionals while simultaneously shifting our country to be healthier and more aware of our lifestyle choices that present long-term challenges for both themselves and the nation.

“COVID-19 exposed our shortcomings, and we must take this opportunity to renew, refresh and re-imagine the PHA, inclusive of PMH, in an effort to revitalize our quality of service and commitment to care.”

ASPHYXIATION due to carbon monoxide poisoning was yesterday confirmed as the cause of death of three people who died at Sandals Emerald Bay in Exuma nearly two months ago.

“The Royal Bahamas Police Force initiated an investigation into the death of three visitors at the Sandals Emerald Bay Resort, situated on the island of Exuma in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas on Friday, May 6, 2022,” an RBPF press statement released yesterday said.

“At this juncture of the investigation, we can officially confirm that all three of the victims died as a result of asphyxiation due to carbon monoxide poisoning. This matter remains under active investigation.”

About two weeks after the deaths of married couple Michael and Robbie Phillips, from Maryville, Tennessee, and Vincent Paul Chiarella, of Florida, The Tribune was told by a reliable source that carbon monoxide poisoning was to blame for the fatalities.

Donnis Chiarella, wife of Paul Chiarella, was the lone survivor. The Chiarellas and the Phillips were found in separate villas in the hours after they sought medical attention for what was thought to be a mysterious illness causing vomiting and nausea.

Before the release of this update, Police Commissioner Paul Rolle yesterday said he received the death certificates on Monday.

“This is the cause of death,” he told The Tribune. “The toxicological report that goes to the coroner and the coroner may determine from that and hold an inquest and at the end of that inquest will determine who may be at fault or who is to take cause.

“For me is cause of death because cause of death will determine whether its a homicide or not and then once you know the cause of death you are to then satisfy yourself that there was no malice that there was no one who did that. So, in this case we kind of know but from the facts and the evidence it does not appear that there was a person in that.”

A pedestrian was found dead after being hit by a truck on the southbound Paradise Island Bridge on Tuesday night.

According to reports, shortly after 10pm police were alerted to a traffic accident involving a vehicle and a pedestrian.

“Officers were dispatched and on their arrival, they found a Caucasian male lying in the south bound lane unresponsive,” police said in a statement yesterday.

“Emergency Medical Services Technicians visited the scene. Following their examination of the body, they concluded that there were no signs of life.”

Initial investigations revealed that a driver of a truck was travelling south on the old Paradise Island bridge when he felt an obstruction.

“Moments later he discovered that he had struck a male pedestrian. The coroner was apprised of the facts relating to this incident,” police said.

A video circulating on social media is thought to be connected to the incident, however, police have not confirmed that as yet.

In the video, the driver of a jeep is seen travelling south on the old Paradise Island bridge when they appear to drive over what is seen to be a lifeless body.

A vehicle that followed then came to a complete stop as the body lay in front of it.

Police said they are awaiting an identification by the next of kin to confirm the victim’s identity, as well as an autopsy report to confirm the exact cause of death.

Investigations are continuing, police said.

Police appealed to members of the public who may have information that can assist with this investigation to contact the Criminal Investigations Department at 502-9991 or the nearest police station.

GRAND Bahama Police are investigating a suspicious death in connection with the discovery of a body at the Grand Cay waterway.

A private boater made the discovery shortly after 8:30am on Sunday and alerted the Police.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Stephen Rolle reported that Police Control Room received a report of a lifeless body being found in waters. He said uniform and plainclothes officers went to investigate.

According to initial investigations, a private vessel was passing through the Grand Cay waterway where the lifeless body of a male was observed submerged in water.

The boaters immediately contacted the Police for assistance.

When officers went to the area at sea, they saw the lifeless body of a dark, slim male wearing a plaid shirt and boxer shorts.

ASP Rolle said the body was removed and taken to the Rand Memorial Hospital, where a doctor pronounced the man dead.

An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.