Hospiten hunts for more medical staff
Published:Thursday | April 19, 2018 | 12:00 AMAvia Collinder
Samuel Afonso Diaz, country manager for Hospiten Jamaica Limited, a private hospital located in Rose Hall, St James, indicates that the facility is in the process of expanding staff count to meet local needs.
Diaz told the Financial Gleaner that "As part of our commitment to our patients, we are always aiming to extend our schedule and access to the specialities most in demand. In this particular case, we are interested in expanding our staff in anaesthesiology, paediatrics and cardiology."
The current staff count and numbers of medical personnel needed were not disclosed.
Asked if the hospital was seeing more traffic due to the difficulties affecting the Cornwall Regional Hospital, Diaz said, "Our activity regarding local patients, taking into consideration proximity, specialities and services, has steadily increased since our opening in 2015. However, we can accommodate patients from anywhere."
G-West, another medical centre in St James, has been advertising its emergency and medical services since the local health authorities asked residents of western Jamaica to seek alternative care due to sick building syndrome at Cornwall Regional.
Hospiten has also advertised for staff.
The hospital has been marketed as offering health security for the local tourism industry, located as it is where the Caribbean has its largest concentration of hotel rooms, but also serves the local community. Diaz said that all forms of health insurance from local and international companies are accepted.
The health facility is part of the Hospiten Group, an international private hospital network with 20 medical-hospital centres in Spain, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Jamaica, and Panama.
'OPEN TO GROWTH'
The local hospital features 27 beds for hospitalisation. Diaz said the initial investment in the operation was "around US$20 million", noting that while no expansion is planned for the immediate future, Hospiten is "open to growth in future".
Among its challenges is the need for more doctors. Diaz said that, "At this moment in time, we are aiming to improve the services we offer, hence our reasons for additional staffing."
The hospital currently features and an intensive care unit, emergency treatment, CT scan, X-ray, ultrasound, mammogram facilities, and a laboratory operating 24 hours per day.
He said that, "A part of our commitment to community is to continue to develop and improve the services we offer, hence our reasons for hiring additional doctors and nurses."