The President of the Saint Lucia Medical and Dental Association (SLMDA) has written a strongly worded letter complaining about the situation at the Owen King European Union Hospital (OKEUH) and in the local health care system.
Dr. Merle Clarke wrote the letter on behalf of OKEUH physicians.
Clarke addressed the July 31, 2024, letter to Joanna Reynold-Arthurton, Chairperson of the Millennium Heights Medical Complex (MHMC) Board of Directors.
The MHMC comprises the OKEUH, the National Mental Wellness Centre, the Turning Point Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation Centre, and the Secondary Care Hospital.
In her letter, the SLMDA President said the consensus of the OKEUH physician body is that the MHMC board, ostensibly tasked with drafting policy to run the hospital efficiently, has “failed miserably.”
According to Clarke, a significant proportion of the board’s membership appeared to focus solely on micromanagement and creating a toxic environment rather than ensuring conditions to guarantee the best patient care.
The SLMDA President noted that Saint Lucia’s current patient profile comprises an aging population, a high burden of chronic non-communicable diseases, and victims of unchecked violent crime, and road accidents.
However, Dr. Clarke questioned how the OKEUH could function and how its physicians could save lives without basic resources.
“Are you aware that physicians have had to bring in their own supplies to ensure that patients with Diabetic Ketoacidosis (A life-threatening complication of Diabetes) are monitored and managed?” The SLMDA President asked.
In addition, Dr. Clarke pointed to the lack of other essential equipment and drugs and a chronic lack of bed space, resulting in critically ill patients getting healthcare management on chairs.
Meanwhile, the SLMDA president observed that average Saint Lucians vent their wrath on frontline healthcare workers who see people at their most vulnerable.
“Never has it been this bad,” Dr. Clarke asserted
She said many feel helpless and are ready to resign.
The SLMDA President revealed that four senior consultants and ‘multiple junior physicians’ have quit in the last few months.
She urged the MHMC Board to get their act together and run the hospital properly or allow a team that is up to the task to do so.
“The current conditions are unacceptably dangerous,” Dr. Clarke warned.
“Are you aware, or do you even care, that many patients, when referred, are uttering the heart-wrenching words: ‘I prefer to go home and die than go to OKEUH? How can we sleep knowing that this is the pitiful plight of our people?”
“We will not continue to stand by and “make do with what is available” only to be publicly maligned by some of your own members when outcomes are less than favourable. We reiterate you need to step up or step out,” the SLMDA President stated.
My family had a few experiences for the past couple of days management really need to pull up their socks and fast.Persons cannot continue perform in this hospital as is ,as these nurses and doctors do.person’s are not motivated they don’t feel appreiated,it’s like I’m getting paid at the end of the month and that’s it.management need to know their workers feel what they feel in other words once in a while step into their shoes. Abd by then proper care will be given to the public,now before you’ll come for me dig into yourself
IS St.Jude Hospital any different?
That’s so sad. People are dying because of lack of basic supplies like panadol antibiotics seizure medication. The board and CEO needs to go. They don’t care about the poor people who are seeking healthcare at OKEU. There is too much of disconnect between the board management and the doctors and nurses. They don’t respect the doctors and nurses.
Day in and day out, the governments keep dropping the ball on healthcare. It’s a damn shame!!!
But they want to give Julien Alfred house and land in cap estate to win elections in 26 .. A woman that will make millions from endorsement from major companies all over the world
house and land?? how abt holiday…….thats wat u all voted for bipolar ..
You better off going to a gadeer than going to that place. At least the doctors finally coming out and speaking against this nonsense. St. Lucia is a buddy buddy society. So much crap happens and gets swept under the rug because all of them in the same circles. This is why the country will never advance. A corrupt inept cabal that keep taking care of each other.
I don’t know Ms. Alfred; however I am extremely proud of her. I know without a doubt that she worked extremely hard, with dedication, motivation and tenacity. She has also used her own resources to start up an initiative in St. Lucia.
Rest assured she has absolutely nothing to do with the mismanagement, lack of supplies and resources or whatever at the hospital, health center or wherever. In my opinion, leave this well mannered ambitious young lady out of you all politics. Amen
Stat hating “haters” and enemies of progress. Leave Julien Alfred alone.
Where do all the hundreds of thousands of US dollars you are conning Americans out of by flogging them useless ‘Citizenship’ go?
I remember there was this onetime I gave birth and they gave me a bed where the mattress was sliding out the end of the bed. I spoked to the person who came to change my sheets and her response was “that have nothing to do with her take it up to maintenance myself.” My whole stay was so uncomfortable. Mind you it was a csection I did could’ve barely walked.
Crazy
@Bipolar such a fitting name yuh need two kick in u …….how Julien Alfred have anything to do with this ?? Our first gold medal EVER since 1979 and what should be a fitting award you fool ? Who never heard of St Lucia knows where we are now. The spotlight that has shone on the country is priceless we couldn’t ask for a better commercial than the 2024 Olympics everyone knows our name and is watching St Lucia. You all want to cut money for carnival for sports but never jazz that cost more to produce. A pice of land in Cape Estate is nothing especially if she bring home gold again she is worthy more than any developer she is our own and damn it that’s what she deserves. I would go a little further and ask the government to give her a diplomatic passport just like Usain Bold did for Jamaica.
Lucians you all crying you all have alot more crying to do. I never see any politician go to okeu hospital for medical treatment.
Well, this is a great shame. If the authorities don’t understand the importance of an effective health sector and run it accordingly, we are totally lost as a nation.
In my opinion they should privatize that hospital and bring about universal health care insurance.
Whats about st judes so long u reach their dont expect to go back to your loved ones…their have some doctors on internship that dont know nothing…spending2years in cuba doesnt qualify as a doctor.they almost killed my daughter holding her like a lab rat till at last i have to asked for a self discharge if not she wont survive under these do called doctors
Mr Highgrade
JULIEN ALFRED IS ALREADY A HOLDER OF A ST LUCIAN DIPLOMATIC PASSPORT.
THANKS TO THE PJP LED ADMINISTRATION
My gracious it seems I stand a better chance giving birth to my 2nd kid at my home with my husband and 2yr old toddler looking over the birthing process. This new kid will have to cut his own cord!
A nation that’s will pay millions for a fet cannot give a few hundreds to Healthcare. What a shame.
Sorry to say but it’s high time a few of these politicians end up in a serious health jam and need to seek medical attention at ok kill u for them to understand the cries of our nation.
Lord put a hand !!!!
These UWP cronies can neva stick to the substantive issue. Always have to divert to a place that always leads to nowhere. Good luck. And by the way, Julien is NO political football. Leave her out of this discussion. Period!!!
While the students are in medical school – they have to enroll in internships in various specialties. Upon completion of medical school (graduate medical program) which is very competitive and last for 4 years, they apply and are accepted into a residency program (which is also competitive and applications are very costly). I am not certain what and how this works in St. Lucia, and honestly I don’t even want to know.
I work with physicians who have to train for four or three years in a hospital residency under the direct supervision of an attending physician (who has already completed and been through the process which I just mentioned) (there are varied specialties, family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics & gynecology, pediatrics, dentistry, psychiatry, emergency medicine, anesthesiology etc. If they decide to specialize then it is an additional two years depending on the area of specialization (ex: endocrinology, urology etc.)- this does not apply to training for surgeons which are much more extensive and longer in duration than the average specialty.
I thought this supposedly caring Government was collecting millions of dollars from the Health and Safety levy. Have they not also sold 56,000 passports. We need to see the passport money. The last CIP report filed was those sold under the LAST Government. This Government refuses to disclose any figures yet no medicine at OKEU.