NRH BED SCARCITY

 

But authorities say

it is being addressed

BY MAVIS NISHIMURA PODOKOLO

BED shortage at the National Referral Hospital (NRH) is being addressed, hospital authorities say.

The hospital’s chief executive officer Dr George Malefoasi admitted bed shortage is an ongoing clinical and management issue and they are taking steps to address it.

Chief executive officer Dr George Malefoasi

“Therefore, the doctors, nurses along with the management are engaging in monitoring, discussing and finding ways to manage the bed demand and shortage issues as a daily routine as well as longer strategic measures,” Malefoasi said.

“The ideal situation is providing more beds which means building additional wards and so on but this is medium and long tern plan of the Government,” he added.

Malefoasi said initially, at the Emergency Department (ED), the management bought additional mattresses for patients to use whilst suitable beds are freed up.

“Communications among sections and ED will be strengthened, and bed managing will be strengthened.

“In a few days’ time a study on the patient flow in the hospital will be undertaken.

“The objective is to find local barriers to effective patient flow and provide references of potential strategies that may more effectively support patient flow.”

He said currently nurses and doctors in-charge at clinical level (wards), are ensuring patients are discharged on time.

“The clinicians ensure the discharge protocols are followed, and a diagnosis is reached quickly and right treatment prescribed as much as possible within their allowed days of stay in the hospital.

“There is a ‘bed sharing measure’ which is activated so that patients from ED could be transferred for admissions on time and help free up beds at the ED.

“Bed sharing will happen in the wards to allow other department to accommodate other patients and secondly there is a ward space identified for 1-2 beds to accommodate spillover of ED patients without beds.

“This is short term and temporary measures whilst long term change happened.

“One of measures still at a negotiation and discussion stage with the doctor at the Good Samaritan Hospital and the Health Director for Guadalcanal province is to relocate long stay patients from Guadalcanal Province there for completion of treatment and management e.g. TB patients and Diabetic patients, which are currently occupying beds,” Malefoasi said.

He stated that the ministry is working towards improving the NRH as a business case phase 1upgrading development approved by the Canine in January 2020.

“Whilst still a concept planning stage, the Emergency Department and existing wards will be improved and upgraded to help address the bed shortage issues.

“In the meantime, the NRH doctors, nurses and the management are communication together and short-term measures mentioned above are carried out.”

Malefoasi further adds there is no evidence or an incident where people die because they slept on the floor at the hospital.

“Whilst bed shortage is an ongoing hospital management issue, there are no evidence or an incident where people die because they slept on the floor.

“These hospital wards are disinfected daily by our cleaners.

“However, the overcrowding of the wards will be jeopardising the infection control measures undertaken,” he said.