Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter

Noting that there is adequate land space at the site of the Bellevue Hospital in Kingston, Dr. Myo Oo, consultant psychiatrist at the facility, has suggested that some of the services at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) be relocated to that institution.

According to Dr. Oo, this would reduce the burden of the ailing major referral facility in the island.

Dr. Oo said he was informed that there were plans to build an annex of KPH.

However, he noted that KPH is located in a volatile area and people are sometimes unable to get in or out of the facility if there is a flare-up of violence.

"Take out all the medical wards out of KPH and put them at Bellevue," Dr. Oo suggested.

He noted that all the medical wards at KPH could then be used to accommodate surgical patients. This, he said, would reduce the long waiting period patients endure for elective surgeries.

Dr. Oo said there would be no need for additional staff for the medical wards which would be at Bellevue, but the cadre of doctors and nurses would have to be increased for the surgical wards at KPH.

Proposed name change

He also proposed that the name of the institution be changed from Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital to Bellevue General Hospital. This, he said, would de-stigmatise the facility.

He said the proposal was presented earlier this year to the South East Regional Health Authority, then Minister of Health Horace Dalley, and Permanent Secretary Dr. Grace Allen-Young.

Hugh Porter, chief executive officer at the Bellevue Hospital, said the idea was a good one.

"We endorse the fact that KPH is bursting at its seam," Porter said.

He noted that Bellevue was situated on more than 60 acres of land, so there would be adequate space to accommodate about three structures the size of Victoria Jubilee Hospital.

Meanwhile, Dr. Rosemarie Wright-Pascoe, president of the Medical Association of Jamaica, yesterday said Dr. Oo's proposal was an "interesting proposition" but it would require shifting resources such as laboratory services to Bellevue.

She noted that what could be done in the long term is for KPH to expand its bed facility. Dr. Wright-Pascoe said there is a ward at the hospital which is not in operation and that could be reopened to ease the shortage of space.

petrina.francis@gleanerjm.com