Operations at the Browne’s Avenue Clinic have come under renewed scrutiny, this time for a lack of adequate resources in managing the threat of Covid-19.
The scrutiny comes from an employee at the facility, who voiced disappointment with several issues in an interview with Observer yesterday. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the employee said that some of the concerns include a lack of adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and the absence of temperature screening for visitors.
The Ministry of Health has spoken on several occasions of their commitment to ensuring that the necessary resources are available to health personnel across the island, but the employee claims that that commitment is not consistent.
Along with the lack of PPE, the employee said that there have been instances where staff members have been forced to personally procure disinfecting/sanitising agents, adding, “sometimes there is no toilet paper”.
The employee said that the exterior of the building was thoroughly sanitised a few weeks ago, but decried the below-par state of the interior.
Speaking on an alleged incident that occurred yesterday, the employee also called for tighter management in potential or suspected Covid-19 cases.
According to the employee, a decision was made to test a young patient at the clinic for Covid-19, and while waiting for health personnel to arrive from Mount St John’s Medical Centre, the patient was allowed to remain in the communal visiting area. This, the employee maintained, should not have happened.
The employee is calling on the relevant authorities to ensure that the necessary resources are consistently available in maintaining proper public health practices, noting the designated importance of the Browne’s Avenue facility as “second to the MSJMC”.
Additionally, though the Covid-19 management situation is in a largely controlled place, the employee urged those in charge to consistently maintain the protocols in protecting staff.
Efforts to reach the Ministry of Health for comment were unsuccessful up to press time.