New regulations implemented at MCMH – Ministry

To facilitate construction work at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, the Ministry of Health has put in place new regulations for members of the public.{{more}}

According to a notice published by the Ministry, effective August 11, no visitors will be allowed on the female medical and female surgical wards outside visiting hours, except in special circumstances determined by the clinical team.

The notice also states that only two persons are allowed to visit a patient at any one time; visitors will only be allowed to visit these areas with a visitor’s pass and there will be strict adherence to visiting hours, which are 11 a.m. to 12 midday and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Further, a visitor’s pass must be collected from the security booth at the hospital’s entrance and visitors will have restricted access to certain parts of the facility.

In an interview on Wednesday, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Luis de Shong told SEARCHLIGHT that the construction work is being carried out under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) project, which is designed to develop and modernize the national health sector.

According to de Shong, the EDF includes components such as: human resource development, legislation, procurement of equipment and vehicles and building capacity.

de Shong noted that the infrastructural development of the 10th EDF includes the refurbishment of certain parts of the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, the complete refurbishment of the Mental Health Centre and the construction of two polyclinics at Mesopotamia and Buccament.

“We still have to occupy Milton Cato Memorial to do the refurbishment, because we have to continue to deliver the usual services, but we are making the adjustments,” de Shong said.

The permanent secretary noted that the female medical and surgical wards have been merged.

“We did some upgrade on the medical ward to accommodate the move from surgical into medicine,” he said.

de Shong said on Monday this week, the hospital was handed over to Hutchinson Construction company, which also won the tender to refurbish the Mental Health Centre at Glen.

He appealed to the public to lend the support that is required and to understand and appreciate what they are doing is to improve what they have currently so that they (public) could be better satisfied.

de Shong disclosed that work will be done on the kitchen, the female medical ward, maternity A, the operating theatre and other areas of the hospital.

The project should be completed in one year.