Minister of Health the Hon. Dr. Duane Sands said the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) provides incredible service and tremendous support for the people of The Bahamas.

During a during a press conference after his first official tour of PMH as Minister of Health, Monday, May 29, 2017, Dr. Sands noted that the country could never repay the services that the individuals who work at the institution provide.

He said, “My entry into politics has always been led by the commitment to improve health in The Bahamas. So to come back to PMH officially in this capacity is for me a wonderful feeling.”

The Health Minister noted however, that there are challenges and opportunities in regards to healthcare and the hospital, but the new Government Administration is looking to improve the delivery of healthcare in the country.

“We are going to make this flagship institution one that all Bahamians can be truly proud of. We have a committed team who understand the issues, the challenges and we are prepared to get things done.”

One of the major issues that the Government is going to address in regards to PMH is Accident and Emergency (A&E), which is the epicentre of PMH. The majority of patients admitted to the Hospital come through the Emergency Room, the Minister said.

“The experience people have in the Emergency Room sets the tone for their perception of our healthcare system.”

Dr. Sands said, “I had the pleasure of serving as the director of A&E for almost seven years, and then went on to be head of the department of Surgery and then several other roles.

“But A&E for me is the place that deserves a tremendous amount of focus.”

He noted that Prime Minister Hubert Minnis has made it very clear that the Maternal Child Wing is a priority, while the Government has also determined that a National Blood Bank and a Coroner’s Facility are also priorities of this Administration.

Dr. Sands said a number of projects that would have added phenomenally to the experience and quality of care that people get in the nation’s public institutions were underway, but stopped and now have to be restarted.

“We could take some time and wonder how it is that they were stalled or why they were stopped, but the charge now is to get things back up.

“The charge is to now introduce a level of quality and satisfaction so that Bahamian people can say that when they come to healthcare institutions anywhere throughout The Bahamas that their perceived satisfaction is elevated, that the quality of care that they get is improved.”

Dr. Sands said this means that they have to find ways to attract more nurses to the healthcare system. “We have got to embrace our nurses and let them understand that they are particularly important.”

He added that the physicians who lead the healthcare team are going to have to adjust how they deliver their service to ensure that they can provide it effectively.

Dr. Sands said another area that has been a major source of frustration for the institution has been challenges with air-conditioning in the Critical Care block.

The Health Minister said a back up air-conditioning system is currently in place and a new one has been ordered.

“Hopefully, we will put this behind us and move onto other challenges but the Managing Director and the Hospital Administrator have committed that this is not just a partial or temporary fix but a permanent fix for what has been a vexing problem,” Dr. Sands said. 

Minister of Health the Hon. Dr. Duane Sands, centre, made his first official tour of the Princess Margaret Hospital as Minister of Health, Monday, May 29, 2017. (BIS Photo/Patrick Hanna)

By Llonella Gilbert

Bahamas Information Services