Hon. Fahie chided for comments against hospital service
Hon. Fahie said it is not that he is against the National Health Insurance (NHI) that would be enacted through the debated Social Security Amendment Bill, but that more information needed to be forthcoming for elected representatives.
Hon. Fahie claimed that unanswered questions remained with residents despite several rounds of consultation held by proponents of the NHI.
The former Education Minister under the Virgins Islands Party (VIP) government said concerns by his constituents about the way they were treated at the Peebles Hospital were very real. “You’re talking about people’s lives,” he told Members of the HOA.
“It takes a lot of fortitude to get up here and say this with the hospital so I ask my people in the First [District] to pray for me in case I ever take sick and go down there [to the hospital] that they don’t hit me a needle and I gone,” Hon. Fahie said.
Upon hearing this, Dr. Pickering rose and said, “I have to stand and take strong, strong, strong objection to that on professional grounds. That is highly unethical. That is impugning the very professional nature of the people who work at the hospital and I strongly object to that.”
Hon. Fahie remained unfazed however and noted while the record will reflect the Deputy Premier’s feelings, he will not be sticking his head in the sand on the issue.
He said some members of the government are bullies and he did not come to please the government. “If you will run this House here how I see it’s running then we will have some problems,” he stated.
“A lot of our people do not write in to say the concerns that they have about the hospital so it will not be documented [and] the statistics will not show it. I can speak for my people in my District because there were a lot of concerns and they didn’t write them in,” Hon. Fahie declared.
The First District Representative explained that his people did not write in their concerns for fear that they will be killed.
“We have real concerns, not to say that we don’t have good people down there in the [Peebles] Hospital, we have good people down there too… the monitoring on the ground has to improve. If you don’t care about people you shouldn’t come study medicine and you shouldn’t practice it,” Hon. Fahie continued.
While noting that there will be no statistics to prove his claims, Hon. Fahie challenged persons to dispute them as, “our people do not write in and they will not write in” their concerns.
Hon. Fahie also noted that he has had some ‘good experiences’ at the Peebles Hospital, “the standard [is] supposed to be set that no matter who goes, the person gets quality healthcare,” he remarked.
Noting that there was a long road ahead regarding healthcare, Hon. Fahie expressed that the Territory will get there but stated that it was asking a lot for persons to place their confidence in the system as it is.
16 Responses to “Hon. Fahie chided for comments against hospital service”
Anyway, let me get to my point. I concur with Hon. Fahie. NDP is full speed ahead on the NHI putting the cart before the horse and all you hear from them is we have to look into this and that. Why wasn't the looking into, research, meeting with stakeholders done prior to their deciding this NHI is what is needed.
On a similar note, I have been to the hospital to see a doctor within the course of the past six (6) months and myself along with others actually had to leave after waiting more than 2 hrs without a single update as to when we would be attended to. I made the mistake of reattempting to visit within the same week and much worse service. I WAS ASTONISHED. I HAVE HEARD OF THE POOR SERVICE THERE BUT TO ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE IT STUNNED!!
I got a small cut on my finger .went to the hospital just to get it clean and wrap properly . just because my husband insist . the first nurse look at it told me it only need a bandade she got a call and another one came .she took a glimse and said u need an injection .i taught she was joking until she came bck in the room with the injection . i was so frighten all i could say was b...h u want to kill me and leave. everytime i feel sick all i can do is read psalms six and hope that i dnt have to go to peebles
Then, onto too many nurses who couldn't be bothered to work. Some, were just outstanding and trying their best with limited resources. No drinking water for 24 hours, broken sink in the room, no way to clean up, sheets with holes in them, filth everywhere you looked.
If Fahie or anyone else goes there, it's just because they don't have a choice. This hospital is SHAMEFUL, by any country's standards.