Sands aims to tackle ‘horrible’ healthcare

Dr Duane Sands, Minister of Health. Photo: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

As of Tuesday, January 16, 2018

By SANCHESKA DORSETT

Tribune Staff Reporter

sdorsett@tribunemedia.net

EMERGENCY services throughout the country will undergo “major changes very soon,” according to Health Minister Dr Duane Sands, who once again decried the “horrible realities” of the public health care system.

Speaking to reporters before a Cabinet meeting yesterday, Dr Sands said the improvements include completely renovating the Emergency department at Princess Margaret Hospital, the redeployment of staff, new modern equipment and the creation of satellite urgent care centres at the South Beach and Elizabeth Estates Clinics.

Initially, he said, the cost was expected to be around $2 million, however Dr Sands said because “the needs are so great,” that cost has rocketed to $5m.

“We have to do things differently if we are going to impact the horrible health realities of the Bahamas,” Dr Sands said.

“The major project that is underway is the redevelopment of emergency services throughout the Bahamas, that includes renovations, redeployment of staff, new equipment at PMH and the simultaneous creation of satellite urgent care centres at South Beach and Elizabeth Estates and then also tying in emergency care evacuation and transportation and other services throughout the Bahamas,” Dr Sands said.

“We have identified a working team. The architects are already engaged, we are doing the costing and this is a major approach to relieving a vexing problem.

“Looking at numbers, they keep going up. We wanted to keep it at less than $2m and I am sure the PHA will have a weeping and gnashing of teeth because the price seems to keep going up in order to accomplish what we need to do. But we are going to try and keep it a $5m for total renovation of Elizabeth Estates, renovation of South Beach, new staff, new equipment plus the renovation of Accident and Emergency.

“This administration has also committed to a brand new maternal child health wing and emergency room and so we can’t spend too much money but at the same time that is not going to happen tomorrow and the needs are great today.”

Dr Sands said his ministry is also exploring the option of moving some of the best doctors from PMH and relocating them into government clinics, to remove some of the pressure from the hospital.

Dr Sands also said the government is currently going through a list of more than 500 recommendations on how to improve the cost of health care in the country. He said with the new changes and the improvements to healthcare, “someone will have to pay for it,” but did not elaborate further.

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TheMadHatter 6 years, 10 months ago

The article says " 'This administration has also committed to a brand new maternal child health wing and...' "

Just what we need...LOL. More babies.

Free land Free clinics Free schools Free towing ya sloop from Exuma to NP All aboard da free gravy train.
Bahamas money can't done.

bogart 6 years, 10 months ago

Quite correct. Ingenius plan now perfected cause you can come by sloop boat, plane, yacht etc and FILE PAPERS which take time to get processed and appealed and in the meanwhile like the 60,000 in US from earthquake make 23,000 plus babies. DNA did have some policies and they need to speak.

joeblow 6 years, 10 months ago

Sand was hired to fix the mess, but nothing he proposes thus far is necessary! There are too many unmotivated persons providing healthcare services. There is too much waste and inefficiency in the system.

His tenure as Minister of Health has been a abysmal failure thus far! This is incompetence with purpose!

ohdrap4 6 years, 10 months ago

let me guess: A new tax?

try it.

the people just unseated a sitting prime minister. a first.

maybe there will be more history in the making.

ThisIsOurs 6 years, 10 months ago

Dr Sands for Prime Minister

sealice 6 years, 10 months ago

And someone could please help fix the good doctors fashion sense.....

ThisIsOurs 6 years, 10 months ago

You see that too? Maybe it's an old picture from the 90's, plaid was big then. Dr Sands for PM!

stillwaters 6 years, 10 months ago

He looks quite spiffy and neat to me.

Greentea 6 years, 10 months ago

Its been time to abandon that roach and rat infested facility and build a state of the art facility, The problem then would be staffing it with doctors and nurses who actually know what they are doing. Healthcare in the Bahamas is a money game, tainted by the influence of big pharma, doctors investing in different parts of the supply chain and has been for a long time. It has little to do with healing and health.

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