Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer

WESTERN BUREAU:

THE CONSTANT carnage on the new Rose Hall main road in Montego Bay, St James, is causing severe trauma at the MoBay Hope Hospital, which has been forced to respond to numerous accidents since the opening of the North Coast Highway 20 months ago.

MoBay Hope (MBH) is a private fee-for-service facility and not-for-profit organisation.

Over the past week, the highway has claimed the lives of three persons, in three different collisions, two of them within 15 minutes of each other.

"Because of our location and close proximity to the highway, we happen to be the first point for emergency response when patients need critical first aid," Judy Farmer, administrator at the hospital told The Gleaner. She added that without an intensive care unit, MBH is limited in coping with severe internal head and chest injuries that are common among accident victims.

The hospital is faced with exorbitant expenditure on medical supplies, due to the amount of drugs administered during emergency procedures.

"In most cases, (this is) unrecoverable, taking a huge toll on our resources," Farmer said.

Unbearable

The administrator said the hospital would be seeking a method of compensation for drugs and medical supplies under these circumstances, in light of the fact that most of these patients would normally be treated at the Cornwall Regional Hospital at no charge.

"It is simply the fact of our location on this dangerous highway which perpetuates this scenario," Farmer said.

According to her, the hospital's medical team is unreservedly committed to providing emergency care to persons in need. However, it has become unbearable and traumatic to witness the wanton carnage on the highway.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com