The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

EMERGENCY Medical Services personnel on Grand Bahama are currently using cell phones as their “primary means” of communication because of problems with their radio communications system, Labour and National Insurance Minister Shane Gibson said yesterday.

Mr Gibson, the government’s Hurricane Matthew czar, said “challenges” still persist with Grand Bahama’s radio dispatch communications system in the wake of the storm, notwithstanding electricity being restored to Grand Bahama’s emergency services on Tuesday. As a result, he said “cell phones are being used as a primary means for EMS at this time.”

Fortunately, Mr Gibson said the level of mobile coverage in Grand Bahama is around 99.5 per cent as of October 31. He also said all services at the Rand Memorial Hospital, Pearce Plaza, Davies House, High Rick, McCleans Town, Freetown and Grand Cay have been restored to “normal operations” since the storm’s passage.

Mr Gibson made his comments during a communication to the House of Assembly to provide an update on the Christie administration’s Hurricane Matthew relief and restoration efforts.

Still speaking about Grand Bahama, Mr Gibson said the clinic in West End is now temporarily operating from the St Mary Magdalene Rectory from 8am to 4pm, albeit on “generator power,” with access to on-call emergency services available “after hours.”

Mr Gibson said the Eight Mile Rock Clinic is also operating on generator power and provides service to the community from 8am to 5pm.

Clinicians are on call for emergency services after 5pm, he said.

Shifting to New Providence, Mr Gibson said “temporary repairs” have commenced on the Children’s Ward Block of the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH). He also said a contractor is currently preparing the final cost of repairs to the old Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the medical block of the main hospital.

Mr Gibson also said repairs to the Female Surgical Ward 1 are expected to commence the second week of November.

Regarding the Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre, Mr Gibson said repairs have been completed on the Geriatric Hospital.

He said the gate is now operational after having been replaced, and that estimates have been secured for the remaining works.

Mr Gibson added that the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA), which has responsibility for PMH, Sandilands and the Rand Memorial, is “working on getting all of the required repairs completed in the shortest possible time.”

Repairs to the roof of the Outpatient Rehabilitation Therapy Department Building on Collins Avenue have been completed by the landlord, Mr Gibson said. Additionally, he said all works have been completed and services have been restored at the Family Medicine Clinic

Last month, PHA Managing Director Herbert Brown pegged the cost of repairs to the countries three main public healthcare institution at $740,000.

At the time, Mr Brown said the PHA was seeking to solicit the necessary funding to cover the expenses.

Nonetheless, he said at the time that the planned renovations to PMH’s Maternity Ward will be placed on hold until after repairs are made to remedy the damage the hospital sustained from Hurricane Matthew.