By Trudy Simpson, Staff Reporter 
McCartney
BREACHES IN the roof and the building housing the operating theatre at the Black River Hospital in St. Elizabeth have forced health professionals at the institution to put off several surgeries.
Sources at the hospital disclosed recently that the hospital has still not been repaired since it was severely damaged by Hurricane Ivan last September and that the breaches resulted in several problems, including the entering of insects into the operating theatre. As a result, doctors have referred most surgeries to the Mandeville Regional Hospital in Manchester.
PLANS ON STREAM
Hospital CEO, Alwyn Miller and Grace Allen Young, permanent secretary in the Health Ministry, said that some repairs have been effected to the hospital's operating theatre, allowing for some surgeries, and that plans are on stream for more repairs that will cost about $8 million.
However, the Black River Hospital joins other hospitals which have shortages of drugs and chemicals to do some lab tests. Hospitals in the public health system are also suffering from the perennial problems of shortage of nurses and other medical staff, outdated laboratory services, shortage of equipment and sundries, old equipment, long waiting lists for elective surgeries,limited diagnostic services and inadequate physical space and ambulance services.
Dr. Trevor McCartney, senior medical officer at the Kingston Public hospital, said that while international standards are maintained, shortages such as inadequate staffing often result in longer waiting times for patients.
"Not only does it take longer, patients are not being seen as they ought to be seen," he said.
OVERCROWDING
These shortages also often result in overcrowding in outpatient clinics and longer stays for some patients in hospital, added Pauline Reid, CEO at the Spanish Town Hospital in St. Catherine.
"There is a severe problem with X-ray machinery (and) we have frequent difficulty with in laboratory services," Dr. McCartney. He said some hospitals need more ultrasound machinery and more implements in specialist areas such as orthopaedics and neuro-surgery.
Dr. Michael Coombs, regional technical director at the Southern Regional Health Authority (SRHA), said hospitals in central Jamaica often need pharmaceuticals and ambulances.
In addition, Everton Anderson, CEO at the Cornwall Regional hospital in St. James indicated that the central air-conditioning system malfunctions and some of the hospital's equipment are old.
"We know that several pieces are old and we have to do a schedule to replace them on a timely basis," Mr. Anderson said.
But there is light at the end of the tunnel for some hospitals.
The Cornwall Regional Hospital reports that it has adequate pharmaceuticals and the private sector is working with the hospital to improve its central air conditioning system. The hospital is also hoping to get more money to fund improvements.
Dr. Coombs said while some patients are still forced to seek private laboratory services for some tests, hospitals have been gradually updating their laboratories and are now equipped to do more tests.
In addition, a Health ministry brochure explained that some funds collected from increased user fees will go toward buying pharmaceuticals. Health officials also said Government and international donors spent J$4.5 billion to upgrade six major hospitals over the last ten years and that the National Health Fund (NHF) spent J$1.7B on institutional benefits since its inception two years ago. This includes reconstruction following Hurricane Ivan. The Health Ministry said that 30 new ambulances should be added to the system soon.
