The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

HEALTH Minister Dr Duane Sands yesterday praised the appointment of Dr Caroline Burnett-Garraway as the new medical chief of staff for Princess Margaret Hospital, calling her career experiences in emergency medicine "symbolic" to what the Minnis administration intends to do throughout the sector.

Dr Sands in an interview outside of Cabinet on Tuesday, said Dr Burnett-Garraway's new role allows her to serve as the "ultimate and final authority" on physician activity at the hospital, placing more focus on emergency care as a holistic view of healthcare.

He also said "more changes" are on the way for the healthcare sector.

Dr Sands said: "Dr Burnett and I go back a very long way. She would have been my senior registrar when I was the director of emergency services at the Princess Margaret Hospital."

He added: "I've had the opportunity to watch her develop into an exceptional physician leader, she was my right hand in the emergency department, ultimately took over running Accident and Emergency, she was one of a number of consultants in emergency medicine."

"This new role allows her to serve in the capacity of medical chief of staff as the ultimate and final authority in terms of physician activity in PMH.

"I have always defined A&E as ground zero in our acute healthcare setting and so to have someone who is the medical chief of staff who is versed in emergency medicine, I think says an awful lot (and) is really symbolic of what we need to do as we renovate our approach to health care in the acute care setting," Dr Sands continued.

"So we have spoken about improving dignity to improve service, to get people to feel as if their loved ones are getting the type of care that they need to get.

"So to have a new medical chief of staff who is particularly focused on emergency care as a holistic view of healthcare is really exciting."

Dr Sands added that the government is aiming to improve physician participation and supervision throughout the sector, insisting the redeployment of physicians will, in time, improve the level of care that patients get.

Dr Burnett-Garraway's appointment fills the role left vacant last November by the resignation of Dr James Johnson, who stepped down in protest after health officials moved forward with plans to recruit foreign doctors despite months of back-and-forth discussion over the changes.

Town Meeting

Dr Sands yesterday also revealed that health officials will host a forum this evening to update the public on various health issues that have arisen in recent months.

The Elizabeth MP said the government is doing all it can to ensure the public is aware, informed and educated.

According to Dr Sands, the forum will take place at 7 o'clock tonight at Garvin Tynes Primary, and will feature updates on the New Providence landfill crisis, the Zika pandemic, the Rubis fuel spill and issues at Clifton.

Dr Sands said: "We've had several public health disasters, one was Rubis and that, unfortunately, was badly mishandled. The dump is yet another problem and we have a growing environmental issue at Clifton."

He added: "So the role of public health and surveillance is extremely important to protect the public and the public needs to know what is happening on their behalf, behind the scenes."

Deputy House Speaker Don Saunders is also expected to attend.