Charges coming for families that abandon relatives in hospitals
Published:Sunday | October 20, 2019 | 1:31 AMKaryl Walker - Gleaner Writer
Health and Wellness Minister Dr Christopher Tufton intends to make good on his promise to haul persons who have abandoned their relatives in the nation’s hospitals, resulting in them taking up much-needed bed space and placing an unwarranted burden on the health sector.
During his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in Parliament earlier this year, Tufton had announced that the Government was mulling over the idea of taking legal action against delinquent persons who are using hospitals as ‘babysitters’.
Tufton said there are currently about 200 persons occupying hospital beds who belong either in an infirmary or should be released to their relatives.
But, under the law, hospitals are designated a place of safety and persons, even though they may be well enough to be discharged, cannot be forced to leave.
“We have engaged social workers within the sector to identify specific cases. We have got permission from the attorney general’s office to engage private attorneys to move the process further and we have already started the process,” the health minister told The Sunday Gleaner.
“Cases should be before the court before the end of the year. Social cases take up significant bed space.”
OVERWHELMING DEMAND
At present, there are 3,500 beds in hospitals across the island, 1,500 short of the 5,000 mark that would be an ideal starting point to satisfy the sometimes overwhelming demand.
State-run hospitals are reeling under the weight of not being able to adequately cater to the sick, and social media has been abuzz with images of patients sleeping in chairs and benches due to a lack of bed space.
“Some persons have been in the hospital for five to seven years. They have been abandoned by their loved ones and we intend to test the legal system and compel them to care for their own, similar to how fathers are ordered by the Family Court to take care of their children,” Tufton said.
“We do not know what the court may rule, but we are not going to allow this to continue.”
He said there were genuine cases where people were no longer in need of healthcare but are infirm and have no place to stay.
In these cases, Tufton said, the health ministry has been seeking assistance from the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development.
“We have started the conversation with local government in dealing with genuine indigent cases. We are going to move out those who belong in infirmaries and put them there. For every 200 beds being occupied in this manner, we deny 10,000 Jamaicans the right to decent healthcare,” the minister said.