Social patients costing Falmouth Hospital 'tidy sum' - Bed shortage persists despite recent expansion

Western Bureau:

The Falmouth General Hospital in Trelawny, which was originally constructed to contain 85 beds, has now been expanded to a 140-bed facility as a result of the recent expansion of the facility to accommodate patients transferred from the problem-plagued Cornwall Regional Hospital in nearby Montego Bay, St James.

However, with bed space at a premium, Ken Grant, chairman of the board of the Falmouth General Hospital, has again raised concerns about the social patients - those who are occupying bed spaces to the detriment of persons who are really ill.

"There are 10 social patients there occupying much-needed bed space. They are not sick, and in one case, there is a patient that has been there for eight years," Grant disclosed. "Something has to be done because it is costing the Government a tidy sum to keep them there."

Search for relatives

Carlington McClennon, the hospital's chief executive officer, told The Gleaner that the Trelawny Municipal Corporation had recently been contacted to help the institution find a way out of the dilemma regarding social patients.

"At a recent meeting (of the hospital's board), a decision was made to approach the municipal corporation for help. We will be requesting a social worker to find the relatives of these patients as a first step in solving the problem," reported McClennon.

When contacted about whether the municipal corporation would be willing to work alongside the hospital to address the matter, Mayor of Falmouth Councillor Colin Gager said that if an official request was made, he would address the matter. However, he indicated that the Falmouth infirmary would not be up for consideration.

Last October, Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton said that his ministry would be embarking on an infirmary expansion programme, which would ease the problem with social patients at hospitals. However, to date, nothing has been done in addressing the situation at the Falmouth hospital.

Earlier this year, Grant called for the upgrading of the Falmouth General Hospital from its current Type C designation to a Type B facility. It is not known whether the Government is entertaining his request.