MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE
US surgeon criticises Jamaica’s poor hospital infrastructure after surgery shortfall
Published:Friday | October 25, 2024 | 12:11 AMKimone Francis/Senior Staff Reporter
United States-based surgeon Dr Robert Brady is decrying the condition of the infrastructure at Jamaica’s public-health facilities after his team was forced to put off a life-changing surgery for an 11-year-old girl.
Brady, the section chief at Norwalk Hospital in Connecticut, travelled to the island with a team of doctors last week to perform orthopaedic-related surgeries for children with severe health challenges, including scoliosis.
He said he has been travelling to Jamaica for 20 years but described this year’s mission as “terrible”, disclosing that the team was only able to perform five surgeries – four at the Bustamante Hospital for Children (BHC) and one at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI).
Brady said the team is accustomed to performing 12 to 16 surgeries per trip but blamed poor infrastructure for the shortfall this time around.
His comment follows a Gleaner report on Thursday that 11-year-old Ajanae Parchment had her surgery put off because of issues with one of the operating theatres at the BHC.
Ajanae was, last year, diagnosed with scoliosis and referred to the BHC for treatment.
At the time, the curve of her spine was 25 degrees. It has since moved to 85 degrees.
Brady’s team and one of Jamaica’s leading orthopaedic surgeons were to perform the surgery.
Ajanae’s mother, Sandra Aitcheson, told The Gleaner that the surgeons could not proceed with the surgery this week at the BHC because the operating theatre had mould, air-conditioning challenges, and was without the necessary equipment.
Yesterday, Brady said the decision to abort the plans was not made by his team.
Additionally, he said the team did not get the opportunity to evaluate or see Ajanae.
“Our goal is to do as many cases as possible and help as many children under any circumstances. We knew that they had an AC problem. We made the request to do surgery at different hospitals, and our request was ignored,” he told journalists from the RJRGLEANER Communications Group after a press conference called by Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton at BHC.
Brady said the request was made two months prior to the team’s arrival in Jamaica.
Yesterday, Tufton told journalists at the press conference that arrangements have been made with the UHWI for Ajanae to undergo the surgery.
He said that having become aware of Ajanae’s situation on Wednesday, he consulted with various stakeholders in the health sector to address the matter.
He said the UHWI has since consented to facilitate the surgery based on discussions with the lead clinician, Dr Carl Bruce.
He said the hospital would provide an operating theatre, along with all the necessary equipment and supporting staff.
“So if the team that is here – the visiting team that is leaving tomorrow – can facilitate the particular case, then the patient will be facilitated for the surgery to take place,” said Tufton.
Tufton said if the team could not perform the surgery, another arrangement would have to be made.
Brady confirmed that it was no longer possible for the team to perform the surgery.
“You can’t make that request one day prior to us leaving and expect it to be granted. That’s not reasonable, and that’s not good. I’m going to help her. It’s not going to be on this trip, but the facilities need to be to the point where they actually want us to come here and help as many people as possible,” said Brady.
He said the mission travels to Jamaica twice per year during the April-May and October-November periods.
Earlier at the press conference, unsolicited, Brady praised BHC staff, who he called amazing for taking “great care” of the children, but said there are “clear infrastructure issues”.
“I’ve been coming here for 20 years. There are some clear infrastructure issues that need to be solved. I made a request two months ago when we heard [of] the air- conditioning issues. I said, ‘We need to fix it or make the accommodation somewhere else’. Now the fact that they want to make the decision today to do it tomorrow, that’s not right. That’s not right for the patients. My request was ignored,” said Brady.
He said as the only children’s hospital on the island and Jamaica being “probably” the most technologically advanced Caribbean island healthcare-wise, the country’s hospitals must be the “gold standard”.
“People come from different islands for us to take care of their children because we know that our healthcare system is good and we have to maintain that,” he said.
“We have to go through the hospitals and make sure the autoclave systems are working,” he added, referring to the steam sterilisers. “We can only do single instruments now. That’s an issue. The air conditions have to work, and we understand that this is an old hospital. There’s other things that we need to do to fix it, but these need to be addressed and fixed, and the money needs to go into helping these children,” said Brady.