HAMILTON, Bermuda, March 27, 2017 – Bermudian authorities are feverishly searching for answers to remedy an unfolding crisis at the main King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.
All beds in the emergency department are occupied, the new acute care wing is full and only absolute emergencies are being handled, Chief Executive Officer of the Bermuda Hospital Board (BHB) Venetta Symonds has revealed.
“There are no patient beds right now at the hospital,” she said, adding, that while every effort was being made to rectify the problem, the hospital was dealing with a “crisis”.
Symonds warned Bermudians to brace for the impact while appealing to citizens to be patient and help to alleviate the problem where possible.
“First of all, if you are an outpatient and looking to have a surgical procedure in the next week or so, you might get a call saying that your surgical procedure has been postponed,” she esaid.
Stating that “every single bed matters right now”, Symonds added: “We all need to work together to make sure our hospital can accommodate you.”
She did not identify the source of the problem, but acknowledged that the hospital has been experiencing “increases in capacity within the last couple of months”.
“Yes, there are a lot of respiratory illnesses right now, but there are a multitude of factors that are making it difficult for BHB to empty beds.
Meanwhile, Minister of Health Jeanne Atherden said that her ministry was “working on solutions to long-term care”.
“Our team is looking at possibilities right now, and we ask for your continued understanding as we work through this situation. BHB’s team is doing all it can to take care of everyone safely. Please do your part to help,” Atherden said.
“I ask that we show our true Bermudian spirit in this crisis, and come together with fortitude, patience and generosity, and make adjustments under the circumstances.”
Read more: http://www.caribbean360.com/news/occupancy-crisis-bermudas-main-hospital#ixzz4cYLuRXAM
