Hanover group expresses concern over health clinic
Published:Monday | November 7, 2022 | 12:05 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
A new advocacy group in Hopewell, Hanover, raised several concerns about the health centre in the community as they press for dialogue with health officials and political leaders in the parish to have the issues addressed.
Members of the Hopewell Concerned Citizens Association, led by President Lancelot Murray and Vice-President Vernal Campbell, called a meeting for a walk-through of the Hopewell Health Centre last Friday, but none of the invited health or political leaders attended the event.
Murray told The Gleaner that Hopewell Councillor Devon Brown; Lucea Mayor and Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC) Chairman Sheridan Samuels; Hanover Eastern Member of Parliament Dave Brown; and Medical Officer of Health for Hanover Dr Kaushal Singh had been invited.
Among the concerns Murray highlighted were the condition of the terrain leading to the facility as well as its location; lack of maintenance; unkempt roadway; limited parking at the facility; lack of proper wheelchair access; inadequate interior seating for patients; the unhygienic conditions within the building; an unsecured medical records filing system; and insufficient staffing.
He noted that the group is not politically motivated, but consists of citizens simply wanting better for the town.
“We (group) are comprised of several ... concerned citizens. Our main purposes are to bring to the forefront urgent issues facing our community and to work with our leaders in achieving solutions that will benefit our community. We are a nonprofit, nongovernmental and non-political group, with none of our members embracing political aspirations,” the president said.
Councillor Brown told The Gleaner that the time of the walk-through was inconvenient for him and that he is awaiting a report from the Hanover Health Department (HHD) to see how best the problems can be remedied.
“I am almost sure that the HHD will be bringing a report on the matter at the next HMC meeting, which takes place in a few days,” he stated, adding that follow-up meetings can be arranged if necessary.
The Gleaner managed to get hold of a copy of a letter Singh sent to the citizens group, outlining that the date and time would not be convenient, as the administrators at the clinic had indicated that it could not be accommodated “due to multiple services planned for that day”.
He added that his team would be happy to accommodate a joint visit to the facility “on a mutually agreed date and time”, and asked that the group provide the HHD with a listing of its observations and concerns.