The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

CENTRAL Grand Bahama MP Iram Lewis has criticised the lack of a working mammography machine and functional freezer at Rand Memorial Hospital, calling on the government to address the “inefficiencies.”

He also raised concerns about an overflow of medical waste at the hospital, sharing photos of garbage bins filled with trash.

“The mammogram machine is not working at the Rand, and I want to hear what the solution for that is,” he said. “And I also mentioned that the freezer is not working, and it is a fact that meats are stored offsite, opening up the possibility of cross-contamination.”

He urged government to provide immediate solutions.

“I’m happy to see that action was taken on the trash buildup after it was revealed,” he said. “So, hopefully, the mammogram, as well as the freezer, would be fixed.”

Grand Bahama resident Donna Jones-Laing called the situation “deeply concerning,” warning that the lack of a working mammography machine puts women’s health at risk.

“A functioning mammogram machine is a basic yet critical tool for early breast cancer detection, which can save lives,” she said. “The fact that Rand Memorial Hospital doesn’t have one in working condition is unacceptable — it forces women to seek services elsewhere, which can be costly and inconvenient.”

The island’s only operational mammography machine is at a private facility.

In July 2022, a local mammographer warned that many Grand Bahamians, particularly the uninsured, depend on Rand’s mammography services.

“The machines at the private clinics are not free, and you have to pay,” she said at the time. “It leaves women in a very precarious position because if they cannot pay, they cannot get the service —not with Rand being offline.”

Rand Memorial Hospital’s mammography machine was damaged by seawater during Hurricane Dorian in 2019 and has yet to be replaced.