Staff at the San Fernando General Hospital Oncology Unit staged a sickout on Monday after their complaints about the leaking roof at the unit continued to be ignored. On Monday cancer patients who turned up for chemotherapy at the unit had to be given new appointment dates because nurses stayed away from work. The T&T Guardian understood that the unit was flooded after heavy weekend rains wreaked havoc at the Paradise Pasture, San Fernando, building.
Patients, many of whom came to San Fernando from Tableland and central Trinidad for treatment, spent hours waiting only to be told no chemotherapy was being done. Some patients arrived as early as 7 am so they could get an early spot. A female patient, who said she came from Freeport, said she was disappointed she could not get her “chemo” done. She said when she arrived she was told it was cancelled and was given a new date.
“They have buckets in the area where we do ‘chemo’ and they tell us it not safe for us. They only giving us appointments. Only doctors there today (Monday), no nurses. I find they should spend money to fix here. It is sick people coming here to get treatment,” she added. Between ten and 12 patients receive chemotherapy at the unit daily.
South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) CEO Anil Gosine, contacted by the T&T Guardian on Monday, said he was not aware there was a problem at the unit but promised to have the situation rectified. He said: “I will make sure that is sorted out. I will find out exactly what is the problem and have that mishap sorted out (yesterday). “Over the weekend we did have some heavy rains and maybe there was some flooding but I will handle it. I will make sure service is back up tomorrow.”
The husband of one of the patients said the leaking roof had created problems before and he was uncertain what would happen with his wife’s chemotherapy treatment. “They give us appointments for next week Monday. Every time it rains that place floods. This morning (Monday) they had a meeting for about 45 minutes when we reach there and they (nurses) were refusing to work in that condition,” he said.
When the T&T Guardian visited the unit on Monday patients were waiting inside and outside the building for attention. A receptionist was at the front desk and two doctors were attending to patients in the examination area. Red plastic bins and paper were strategically placed on the floor to catch water dripping from the roof.
A hospital source told the T&T Guardian when nurses turned up for duty they found the area flooded and the “chemo” chairs moved. The source said the leaking roof was not a new problem at the unit which has been in operation for the past two years.
“Staff have been pleading to have the leak fixed and nothing has been done. On Friday evening the chairs the patients sit on for ‘chemo’ were relocated. When patients came in this morning for their ‘chemo’ and blood work, staff members were not there and the patients were left sitting and waiting. This is a management problem,” the source added.
The unit is staffed with four doctors and five oncology nurses. The T&T Guardian understands that on Monday no nurses were on duty. The two doctors working at the unit did blood tests and reviewed the patients. Another patient, who did not give her name, said the doctors were trying their best, given the situation.