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North Sound residents peeved over limited operations of health clinic

- BVI Health Services Authority hard hit by shortage of staff
All the concerns raised by the residents were put to Chief Executive Officer of the BVIHSA Ms Darlene Carty-Baptiste who acknowledged that the Health Centre at North Sound is indeed on a limited operation due to the shortage of staff. She, however, has promised a formal response sometime today, October 21, 2015. Photo: VINO/File
In a release published by the BVIHSA on October 16, 2015 East End and Long Look Health Clinics are also on limited opening hours schedule. Photo: Provided
In a release published by the BVIHSA on October 16, 2015 East End and Long Look Health Clinics are also on limited opening hours schedule. Photo: Provided
NORTH SOUND, Virgin Gorda, VI – “This is overbearing and we cannot handle this any longer. North Sound is like a step child in Virgin Gorda. Why after more than a year this government cannot get their issues sorted out so that the North Sound Clinic can be opened daily?” questioned a frustrated resident of North Sound, Virgin Gorda.

This is a concern to many persons residing and working in the far end community of the sister islands and they have been consistently contacting this news site to have their voices heard. According to one resident who contacted this news site recently, the health centre at North Sound is opened only three days a week, a situation that existed since 2014.

“This is not good. Look the distance North Sound is from Valley. They waiting for a crisis to happen and people die or something before they handle this issue?” asked the female resident. She went on to explained that her concern is not one that is without merit as she knows of several instances where persons suffered because of the time ambulance would take to get from Valley to North Sound.

“We have hundreds of construction and other high risk jobs workers at this end of the island (North Sound), so many times I can recall persons getting injured on the job and their suffering is extended because of the time they have to jostle to get a private vehicle to take them to Valley.”

“The other thing is that this is a peak season for the BVI and hundreds of tourists come to this end of Virgin Gorda and we all know the story, yet we have a health centre that closed for most of the week. This is not right and the [BVI] Health Services [Authority], Cline (Bishop John I. Cline) and the whole pack of them need to address this issue,” added the woman.

Another alleged that a typical situation occurred recently where an elderly person required the services of the ambulance but was told it was not available as it (the ambulance) had limited gas, which had to be reserved for any emergency that may occur in the Valley. “Now tell me, Valley more important than North Sound? How could an ambulance that is supposed to be an emergency response machine have gas shortage?”

Staff shortage

All the concerns raised by the residents were put to Chief Executive Officer of the BVIHSA Ms Darlene Carty-Baptiste who acknowledged that the Health Centre at North Sound is indeed on a limited operation due to the shortage of staff. "North Sound Clinic is open Mondays and Thursdays 8:30am to 4:30pm. A nurse is on call daily, including weekends," Ms Carty-Baptiste stated.

Non-emergency

As it relates to the issue of the unavailability of the ambulance to transport the elderly patient, Ms Carty-Baptiste said that based on her investigations the case was not one of emergency. “According to the staff at the Nurse Iris O'Neal Clinic the patient was brought to the Valley in a private vehicle and wanted the ambulance to take her back to North Sound. The ambulance was out of service for maintenance, hence the patient could not be transported - it was not deemed as an emergency.”

There is no known operation schedule circulated for the operating hours for the North Sound Clinic, however, based on information shared with this news site, the issue of limited opening hours is not isolated to the North Sound community. In a release published by the BVIHSA on October 16, 2015 East End and Long Look Health Clinics are also on limited opening hours schedule.

11 Responses to “North Sound residents peeved over limited operations of health clinic”

  • who feels it knows it (21/10/2015, 09:52) Like (25) Dislike (6) Reply
    You all put them back in there overwhelmingly. Deal with the issues at hand. They were the best thing ever to run this country. You all crying out now. Who the cap fit wear it. You all aint start to bawl out yet, wait a little longer it going be thing to tell the king.
  • IMO (21/10/2015, 10:32) Like (21) Dislike (0) Reply
    they good fooled by the NDP bottom line
  • Cant please (21/10/2015, 11:13) Like (5) Dislike (5) Reply
    some of you Government workers in these profession to lazy and like complain, hence one of the reason for this issue. Many of you do not like the fact you have to travel to these distant location for work, until one can find suitable persons in that region to work. And even so some of you who from VG aint going want to work there. Gosh you people so chosy.
  • wow (21/10/2015, 12:02) Like (14) Dislike (1) Reply
    you get what you voted for
  • from ministry (21/10/2015, 14:42) Like (10) Dislike (0) Reply

    the C** need to go she dont really do notin and the minister follow she crap

  • pay (21/10/2015, 15:02) Like (5) Dislike (2) Reply
    Possibly the biggest obstacle to hiring medical staff in the BVIs is that salaries cap out around $25-$30K per year by Labor. Not too many medical professionals will work for that.
    • Lily Ann (21/10/2015, 15:37) Like (7) Dislike (2) Reply
      They want Doctor pay when all they do is check your blood pressure and tell u go sit down and wait on the Doctor ??? Struuuups!!!
      • my 2 cents (21/10/2015, 18:30) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
        Stop lying man, the people them do more than that, you not there with them all day to know what they do otherwise.
  • yesss (21/10/2015, 15:02) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    Everybody want but nobody want to pay. Keep it up!! You all balling about HSA but nobody coming forward and demanding that the people who owe the HSA over $20 mil pay up so that they can run their operations. Nobody works for free but somehow you expect things to continue fine and dandy without proper funding? Snap into reality!
  • doc (22/10/2015, 08:58) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    that CEO still here? so much locals can do that job its a dawn shame...she must have a friend somewhere
  • wth (22/10/2015, 19:58) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Sounds like that person was mistaking the ambulance for a taxi. The ambulance is to pick you up in the event of an emergency not take you back home.


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