BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (Tuesday 24th March 2021)-Medical Chief of Staff Dr. Cameron Wilkinson has responded to concerns and criticism in relation to healthcare at the Joseph N. France General Hospital including x-ray services, radiology and prescription medicine supply.
 
The Labour Spokesman reached out to the chief medical administrator at the government- run facility in an effort to get a response to questions being raised publicly concerning the availability of quality medical care. 
 
Yesterday (March 23rd), this media house published an article outlining the absence of x-ray and ultrasound testing capabilities at the hospital along with a shortage of prescribed drugs at the hospital dispensary and the departure of the resident nephrologist.
 
Dr. Wilkinson expressed delight to discuss the latest developments in each matter and set the record straight in some instances. 
 
He informed that it is true that the x-ray machines at the hospital have been down because of the malfunction of two parts. He went on to say that the parts for the machines have been ordered adding that one part is already in the federation is to be installed while the second part is expected to arrive in the federation in less than a week. 
 
As gathered from Dr. Wilkinson, the hospital had previously invested in a number of portable x-ray machines, three digital and one non- digital. Those machines are on island and will serve as backup in addition to the performance of x-rays on patients who cannot be moved.
 
He said the hospital is finalising training for staff in the use of the portable machines. They should be put into use as early as Thursday this week on completion of the necessary training on the new machines. 
 
Dr. Wilkinson offered clarification that there has been no issue with ultrasound at the hospital.
 
“We currently have three functioning portable and one stationary ultrasound machines,” he said. 
 
The Medical Chief of Staff also disclosed that to ensure that there was no gap in patient care, the hospital sought the services of two radiologists who work at the institution, one in a private capacity and the other public/private.
 
He said patients at the hospital who need x-rays have been transported to these doctors’ offices to have the x-rays performed. Additionally, non-urgent cases requiring x-rays are given appointments at the private radiologists’ offices.
 
This, he said, allowed for continuance of care. 
 
Dr.Wilkinson went on to say that he is unaware of any shortages of medications in the hospital dispensary.
 
He stated that the hospital is stocked with required pharmaceuticals but went on to state that there is a wide array of drugs that are used to treat the same ailments and the choice of drug prescribed is often left up to physician preference and also depend on the sensitivity of various germs to the drugs. According to him, one germ might be sensitive to four drugs but a specialist might prefer to use one that is not on the hospital formulary. They will therefore purchase the drug from a private pharmacy. 
 
He said that it is not new that all of the possible drug choices are not on the hospital’s formulary and that is one of the primary reasons patients would need to fill their prescriptions at the commercial pharmacies. He gave the assurance that the hospital dispensary is adequately stocked. 
 
When asked about the absence of the resident nephrologist, Dr. Salazar, from the federation and the hospital since November 2020, Wilkinson stated that the sentiments expressed were not completely accurate. He said that Dr. Salazar had not left the service, but rather he is on vacation. 
 
The Medical Chief of Staff went on to say that Dr. Salazar left the federation on January 9, 2021, and not in November 2020, for approximately one month’s vacation. The doctor was expected to return on February 16. 
 
As informed, there should have been a stand-in nephrologist flown in however, as a result of COVID-19 related challenges, flights out of Cuba were not available. Therefore, another nephrologist could not have come to replace Dr. Salazar in the interim. To overcome this challenge, the hospital has facilitated regular consultative virtual sessions between Dr. Salazar and the in-house doctors who work with the specialist.
 
Dr. Wilkinson said that all this was done to ensure that there is no gap in patient treatment. 
 
Although the challenges with commercial flights out of Cuba continue to persist, Dr. Wilkinson expects Dr. Salazar to be back at the hospital within the next 30 days. 
 
The Medical Chief of Staff in his interview with this media house has given the assurance that while there are challenges in the medical system, quality of care is being maintained.