Concerns are being raised that the Dominica China Hospital (DCH) is struggling to pay its bills. According to a well-informed source who spoke to Nature Isle News (NIN) on strict conditions of anonymity since they are not authorized to speak on the matter, the hospital is “hemorrhaging and can’t meet its daily expenses.”
According to the source, the hospital is unable to service its debts and also deals with the high maintenance cost of the equipment at the hospital. Added to that, people are stealing toilet paper from the washrooms adding to the woes of the institution.
“This is just not good, people go to the washroom and take the toilet paper home with them, this is just unacceptable,” the source revealed. Another problem faced is that people are not paying their bills after they have received services at the hospital.
“I am aware that the hospital receives no money for persons from infant to 18 years and also from age 60 and above, so this is a major problem for the hospital since a number of persons admitted are within that age range and to further compound the situation, those who can afford to pay don’t pay at all,” the source disclosed.
The source is of the view, that if persons were to pay their bills it will assist in the revenue of the institution. “They can pay but says that “the government or parliamentary representative will deal with that and so these bills are never paid.”
“All I can say to you is that the Hospital is struggling to pay its bills, revenue is extremely low and people are owing the hospital thousands of dollars.”
The Dominica Hospitals Authority Bill was passed by Parliament on Monday, June 28, 2021.
The Dominica Hospitals Authority Bill is one of five pieces of legislation that was expected to drive the reform and transformation of hospitals and healthcare services with a strategic focus on strengthening accountability within an accreditation framework.
As part of this review, a National Health Commission was appointed by Cabinet in 2017 to make recommendations on the improvement of the health care services in the Commonwealth of Dominica and to examine the governance structure of the Dominica China Friendship Hospital.
The NHC led the way with the review of the existing Bill as well as with the preparation of the Dominica Hospitals Authority Bill.
The Minister for Health, Wellness, and New Health Investments, Dr. Irving McIntyre in piloting the Bill explained that the Dominica Hospitals Authority Bill was expected to create a sense of accountability among the staff of the hospital.
“The new hospital legislation creates a modern efficient approach to hospital care and to the development of health professionals through regular continuing education. The main goal of the reform is to ensure the Dominican populace receives high-quality care from all public hospitals on the island. This new hospital authority legislation put in place new reporting arrangements and changes the current arrangement whereby the hospital services coordinator, the hospital medical director, and the matron report to different administrators at the Ministry of Health. This will institute accountability on the part of medical nursing and other staff,” Dr. McIntyre stated.
The new law provides for the creation of a Board of Directors, with a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) reporting to a nine-member board.
The Health Minister explained then, that “this is an effort to bring decision making regarding patient care, diagnostic services and procurement of equipment and supplies closer to the centre of patient care.”
Dr. McIntyre further noted that the new structure will include new departments such as engineering services, quality management, patient support services, human resources, and finance and budgeting will also serve in enhancing the delivery of the quality of care in a modern 21st-century hospital facility.
“The Board shall appoint Directors and Managers which will be necessary for the Authority to perform its functions and Mr. Speaker this is provided for in Clause 26. These Directors or Managers shall be full-time officers of the Authority who shall not engage in any other trade, profession or business without the consent of the Board,” the Minister stated.
Prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit commended the National Health Commission stating that “I want to specially recognize and express my personal profound thanks and of course that of the Government and the entire country to the members of the commission who spearheaded this process. It speaks to their undying commitment and love for country.”
The Prime Minister added that the implementation of the Dominica Hospital Authority Bill is part of the plan to develop and improve health care in the country.
“This Government has taken this responsibility very seriously, and practically and pragmatically has gone about improving the health care of our country. Not only in the infrastructure, which is unprecedented but also in ensuring that we have the human resources at our disposal. This is part of a master plan and we have systematically gone about improving the health care in our country,” Prime Minister Skerrit added.
For all those who think that health care and everything else comes for free are deceiving themselves, hence the results! Edison James and the UWP were castigated and called wicked when the populace was asked to pay a minimum fee for the hospital services. The one-man rogue regime slave plantation mentality island people are told that they will get everything for free, what a bunch of misleading people!! There’s nothing for free in any country, it’s the people of a country who are responsible for the sustainability of everything in a country! Even the Christian Bible says by your sweat you shall eat bread!!