The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

THE Davis administration would pursue legislation to hold families accountable for abandoning relatives in hospital if re-elected, Health and Wellness Minister Dr Michael Darville said yesterday, sharpening the government’s response to a problem he said is clogging public hospital beds and delaying care.

Dr Darville has repeatedly raised concerns about “boarders” at Princess Margaret Hospital and Rand Memorial Hospital, patients who remain in hospital despite no longer requiring active treatment. In many cases, he said, families refuse to collect elderly relatives.

Speaking to reporters, Dr Darville said the issue continues to weaken bed capacity, forcing officials to work with private sector groups to find appropriate support and facilities for the patients.

“It is a concern for us,” he said.

“Should the Lord bless us with a second term in office, you will see where the new legislation will point specifically to that, where families will be held accountable and those who are receiving National Insurance benefits for their loved ones, if they leave them with us, we will move swiftly to address those concerns.”

Dr Darville said boarders have long strained the Public Hospitals Authority. He said officials remain compassionate toward elderly patients, but warned that the burden on the healthcare system is significant.

“I'm making it very clear that they are taking up a lot of precious bed space, which causes the delay in our Accident Emergency and the movement of individuals from A&A to the ward,” he said.

In October 2024, Dr Darville said the government was taking “serious steps” to address elderly care as more patients were being left in hospitals.

He said officials had been coordinating with Social Services and the Sandilands Geriatric Facility to develop strategies to ease pressure on public health facilities and protect the safety and dignity of older residents.

The problem is not limited to The Bahamas. The Jamaica Observer has reported that the abandonment of relatives at hospitals is a longstanding issue in Jamaica, where officials have warned that it continues to affect bed availability.