Princess Margaret Hospital. (File photo)
By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Senior Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
PUBLIC Hospitals Authority Managing Director Catherine Weech said officials are making makeshift arrangements to handle COVID-19 patients because “every bed is full”.
Her comments follow similar comments health officials made during Friday’s press conference.
“Every bed is full,” Mrs Weech said. “We have to work with overflow. We are using the general practice clinic. We are at maximum capacity. We have to make makeshift arrangements to accommodate patients. What the public has to understand is this is something we can beat together. Follow international recommendations like get vaccinated.
“Refrain from social gatherings. Exercise some caution. Young people stop, give us a break. We are tired. The system only has so much. We have staff exposed.”
Mrs Weech said the hospitals have been overwhelmed like this “for a long time”.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis is expected to address the country at 8pm tomorrow regarding the measures his administration will implement to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Dr Minnis will announce a series of measures to assist with care of people in hospital with COVID-19, steps to limit the further spread of the virus and an update on the country’s efforts to secure more vaccines.
The announcement comes as two additional deaths, and 100 new cases of the virus were recorded Friday. The country also recorded 133 cases on Sunday.
PHA over the weekend responded to a viral video of patients staying on the porch of the Critical Care Block.
PHA said, “The area identified in photos and video is the triage site for the Accident & Emergency Department.
“All patients arriving for care at the emergency department are screened for COVID-19 as part of the hospital’s prevention measures.
“During the rainstorm, early Saturday morning, patients in the triage area were relocated from the west porch area to the north porch area for temporary shelter from the weather.
“Subsequently, those patients were relocated to the General Practice Clinic area in the Ambulatory Block.”
Comments
DonAnthony 3 years, 4 months ago
So 99% of the patients with COVID filling PMH to capacity are unvaccinated, and these same unvaccinated persons who could not be bothered to vaccinate are now complaining that the public hospital is not providing first class healthcare. Now that is rich😀 I have next to zero patience or empathy for these people. Vaccinate or suffer the consequences. Period.
ThisIsOurs 3 years, 4 months ago
You do realize that if the entire population of the bahamas wanted to get vaccinated they couldn't right? From what I gather every vaccine they have has been used. There would have been some Bahamians no matter which way you slice it who would have been unvaccinated. Some of you guys who would so callously condemn your brothers, people who look just like you, are the same who would have sold your own people into slavery. Disgraceful.
DonAnthony 3 years, 4 months ago
You do realize even if we had sufficient vaccine for our entire population a large portion of our people would still not get vaccinated? This is the sad reality. And these same persons would demand first class free healthcare if they contracted COVID?
ThisIsOurs 3 years, 4 months ago
Doesn't matter. The point is you cant claim people dont want to get vaccibated if you haven't created an avenue for them to get vaccinated. Worse still when you go out of your way to block others who attempt to create those options. The planning couldnt have been worse
whogothere 3 years, 4 months ago
Iceland - 99% of the adult population vaccinated...and cases exploding right now..
https://www.covid.is/data
So...You do realise that even if there was enough vaccine and if everybody took it the virus would still be spreading and cases would still be going through the roof...and more than likely the elderly and sick among would still be in hospital and PHM would likely still be full, understaffed staffed and have bed shortages....just like it did long before covid...
2019 "At yesterday’s official bed donation ceremony at the critical care block at PMH, Burrows said while the beds are a welcome addition, the hospital is currently 200 beds short."
https://ewnews.com/25-beds-gifted-to-pm…
2018
Dr. Sands said that it is a problem that cannot be solved in a day or a week. “These are chronic problems and if you have a shortage of 440 plus nurses across the healthcare system, you are not going to fix that problem in the short term.
https://www.bahamas.gov.bs/wps/portal/p…
rodentos 3 years, 4 months ago
same in Israel, exponential growth despite all have been vaccinated. Forget about vaccines, the PCR test is a scam
ThisIsOurs 3 years, 4 months ago
agree. I think economics has become the major motivator for seemingly every govt over health. They're literally all doing the same things, removing all precautions all at once. Travel is the breeding ground for the virus. You have European countries looking at poorer countries as the source of infection, you have blind leaders like Minnis looking at black skin as the source of infection. Its all wrong. Anybody crossing a border is a risk and should be treated as such. Until the vaccine is a cure that should be the mode of operation
DonAnthony 3 years, 4 months ago
This is fake news. Iceland has 223 active cases and in the entire country only one fully vaccinated person has been hospitalized due to COVID infection, all others have mild symptoms. So our hospital would not be overflowing with patients if we were all vaccinated. The vaccine works, there will be breakthroughs but the vaccine by and large prevents hospitalization and death. https://www.icelandreview.com/society/c…
whogothere 3 years, 4 months ago
At Don: You missed the point - our hospital was already full without covid, vaccinations are not going to stop that. And with cases exploding in Iceland despite then getting rid of emergency orders in June they're back and at point that they may now keep them in play for 15 years...30 folks died of COVID in Iceland - through the whole pandemic - they're healthier then Bahamians and have decent health care system. COVID only amplified and exposed the disaster our health care system is, but the Gov is trying (like it does with everything) to pass the buck on to COVID. Some of us are not fooled.
John 3 years, 4 months ago
Are there any vaccines available dummy? Are these not the same people that sacrificed their freedoms and income to bring the country out of the former two waves dummy. If the vaccines are so effective, dummy, then why is the vaccinated world reverting back to the original safety measures that include mask wearing and social distancing? Stop being so gullible, dummy.
carltonr61 3 years, 4 months ago
https://sputniknews.com/europe/20210726…
Vaccinated got Covid also.
ThisIsOurs 3 years, 4 months ago
theyve also died
Economist 3 years, 4 months ago
Read whole article. "As of now, around 90 percent of all residents over age 16 have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine". The science says that one shot only gives about 30% protection against the Delta Variant. You need two shots and then it is only 60 to 80 % effective.
Look at the UK rates where the number of cases is almost as many as it was at it worst a few months ago BUT look at the number dying. Was up to 1200 a day whereas it has not breached 100 a day.
That means that the vaccinations are effective.
TalRussell 3 years, 4 months ago
@ComradeEconomist, your post should be weighed that more effective for its message, not number words counted, yes?
whogothere 3 years, 4 months ago
Alt 1: prior immunity is effective - the 5 million cases the UK had in previous waves and countless undiagnosed cases have antibodies which is paying dividends in the Delta Wave while vaccine efficacy is free falling.
Alt 2: Excessive death in 2020 has used up the 'dry tinder' - a callus way to describe folks that were 6 months were going to die anyway - but in essence the 2020 culling has effectively removed the population that were most likely to die anyway - vaccinated or not. Vaccine isn't protecting people - COVID just isn't finding people that die easy. This is firstly reflected in the fact England is actually is experiencing below average death for the 20 weeks in the high age groups. And secondly in that 90% of the cases in England are under the age 50.
https://www.euromomo.eu/graphs-and-maps…
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u…
Alt 3: Vaccines work then great - it's a personal choice move on.
ThisIsOurs 3 years, 4 months ago
I did wonder about that. The fact is persons who were most susceptible have already died. For the persons who survived and "may" have natural immunity have they reduced even further the pool of persons who would get seriously ill?
I have no doubt the vaccine is effective what I dont like is the push to discredit or ignore and not even examine other possible factors
whogothere 3 years, 4 months ago
It’s not that vaccines are not effective - they are but data is demonstrating this it doesn’t last. And isn’t a flu vaccine - dead virus and all that...it’s something that long effects of which are not tested - and if doesn’t stop transmission and protection doesn’t appear to last.. what’s the point.. as crazy as it sounds vaccine followed by natural infection might be safest way to get antibodies if your compromised...or simply if you re young just to get it...the antibodies appear to last decades
Topdude 3 years, 4 months ago
Where are the comments of the naysayers and recalcitrants?
ohdrap4 3 years, 4 months ago
Right here. 🔝
whogothere 3 years, 4 months ago
2018:
Dr Sands: “These are chronic problems and if you have a shortage of 440 plus nurses across the healthcare system, you are not going to fix that problem in the short term."
2019:
At the critical care block at PMH, Burrows said while the beds are a welcome addition, the hospital is currently 200 beds short."
January 2020: Just before the Pandemic kicked off..
"Bed Crisis Forces Pmh To Cancel Ops Again"
www.tribune242.com/news/2020/jan/22/bed…
Is it COVID or do we have some chronic issues with our health system...?
TalRussell 3 years, 4 months ago
Sure, it's a personal decision but for only as long as you plan on not mixing with rest PopoulacesOrdinaries, nor will you attempt to gain entry into/onto public nor private workplace environment for as long as you remain amongst minority the identified as the still alive unvaccinated, yes?
ThisIsOurs 3 years, 4 months ago
the CDC just changed its guidelines and is advising that vaccinated persons wear mask indoors. Lookslike weve moved from "two pandemics" back to one that involves anyone still breathing
Honestman 3 years, 4 months ago
Cut your risk of becoming seriously ill with COVID or even dying from it by getting vaccinated. It's not rocket science. Yes, there is a small risk a few of you might suffer a complication from the vaccine but there is a much greater risk of you becoming seriously ill if you don't. Does anyone really want to take their chances presenting themselves with COVID complications at PMH??? The hospital has no free beds left anymore and doesn't know what to do with the rising number of dead bodies. What more evidence do people want before they realise that vaccination is the best way to protect themselves and their families? Yes, there are alternative therapy drugs like remdesivir, invermectin etc but these are still being trialed as far as being a preventative tool. There is a risk in everything in life. Most of you drive on Bahamian roads - now the risk of being seriously injured or killed in a road accident here is much greater than the relatively small risk of taking a reaction to the vaccine.
whogothere 3 years, 4 months ago
We're talking about tiny risks here - 1 in 1000 for death from COVID. You may cut your risk for maybe 3-6 months tops...then it's um you need another booster..then the risk of side effects increase. The bait has always been protection from hospitalisation and death - the switch is this oops it don't last that long...Thats what's happening in Israel, Iceland, UK, Seychelles and certain states in the US. Ultimately natural immunity through infection seems to be the only antibody stimulation that lasts to date.
baclarke 3 years, 4 months ago
"Yes, there is a small risk a few of you might suffer a complication from the vaccine but there is a much greater risk of you becoming seriously ill if you don't." This is putting it a bit lightly in my opinion. You can not only suffer "complication" but you can even die from blood clots. I have a friend with a family member right now who has to re-learn how to walk after their vaccination. While indeed the hospitals are full of unvaccinated sick persons, statistics still show that majority of persons will not need to be hospitalized and will not die. The point I am making is that while the vaccinations are indeed saving lives, persons are still at liberty to refuse them if they doubt the long term implications of the vaccines (which nobody knows), and may want to take their chances with Covid, it's as simple as that. Everyone, I knew personally with covid recovered without hospitalization. In reference to the drugs you mentioned, such as ivermectin, the few countries who used it had great success in keeping persons out of the hospital by treating them as the caught covid. It just goes to show you that there is more than one way to fight this battle, without forcing or coercing persons to take experimental vaccines. All of this being said, I plan to join the pfizer experiment instead of the AstraZeneca experiment, but I have no quarrel with those who choose not to. Time will tell us if any of us made the right decision.
ThisIsOurs 3 years, 4 months ago
Completely agree. They would do better to give the full picture rather than mind wrangling us into one pen.
Dont know about the friend having to learn to rewalk after vaccination. Bodies are complex organisms and finding root causes for malfunctions is not easy. Its posdible the timing if the vaccine was coincidental or maybe it wasn't
whogothere 3 years, 4 months ago
The kicker is that 2 months before the Pandemic PMH was already running out of beds cancelling elective surgeries etc. Pandemic has made worse - sure - you panic people by telling them there is a killer virus going around they are gonna start thinking the worst, banging to get in Hospital when really bed rest and few Advil may just as well do the trick...there is one person in ICU PMH (at least on the July 25th update) but all this hand ringing about beds is essentially the status quo at PM. And where on earth are those fancy tents Samaritons Purse left us..?
"Bed Crisis Forces Pmh To Cancel Ops Again"
www.tribune242.com/news/2020/jan/22/b...
rodentos 3 years, 4 months ago
it is not difficult to occupy 4 ICU beds, what the whole country has
ThisIsOurs 3 years, 4 months ago
i think they had 80 COVID beds at least thats the number i remember
John 3 years, 4 months ago
As breakthrough cases (vaccinated persons getting the virus and many getting ill) the pushback and resistance to vaccines grow stronger. Especially as flip flopping Dr Fauci changes his mask wearing politics again. Did they intentionally use vaccinated people as super spreaders allowing them to wander through populations without tests and without masks? What exactly are the intentions of these people who are consistently altering the safety measures to the detriment of many and, according to Senator Ran Paul, may have the ability to manipulate strains of the Corona virus, including the delta strain. Do they want to see more people dying? Every time Fauci tells you it’s ok to take off your mask, put on an extra one as a measure of safety. Originally they were saying vaccinated persons coming into contact with unvaccinated persons were testing positive. When in reality UN vaccinated persons coming into contact with VACCINATED persons are getting ill. Now it appears that even VACCINATED persons coming in contact with other Vaccinated people are getting the virus.
baclarke 3 years, 4 months ago
https://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-ful…
The saddest part is that they are calling this "new science", as if some how everyone bought into the lie that vaccinated persons could not catch and spread covid..... Well I certainly know who bought into this lie hook, line, and sinker, Our Prime Minister and his Party, and our "competent" health authorities....
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