Prime Minister Makes Unannounced Visit to Victoria Hospital

Contact: Prime Minister's Press Secretary

June 11, 2001 - Prime Minister Dr. Kenny D. Anthony this morning paid an unannounced visit to Victoria Hospital for a first-hand view of how health services are administered as the government continues to improve on the delivery of health care at the nation’s main general hospital.

The visit, planned since last Wednesday, began at 10:00am, when the Prime Minister turned up at to Hospital’s gate.

During the visit, the Prime Minister toured the various departments, beginning with the Accident & Emergency Ward, formerly known as the “Casualty Department”.

He spoke to persons seeking medical attention, as well as nurses, doctors and other personnel involved in administering health care at the nation’s oldest and premiere health institution.

Dr. Anthony also visited the wards and spoke to patients and ward staff, as well as other departments and staff involved in maintenance and other technical and professional services.

The Prime Minister, who was accompanied by officials from the Office of the Prime Minister, said he planned the surprise visit, as he has done with other important government institutions, so that he could get “a first hand, eyewitness view of how the hospital’s services are delivered.”

“As such,” he explained, “neither the Minister of Health, nor any of the hospital’s staff were informed.”

Dr. Anthony said after the visit that, from what he saw and heard, he was satisfied that there was much progress in the delivery of health care at Victoria Hospital.

The Prime Minister acknowledged that “there are still areas to be improved upon,” but he was “generally satisfied that the Ministry and the hospital’s staff have been doing and are still doing their best to continue to improve on the delivery of health care.”

Commenting on his government’s efforts to improve the nation’s health services over the past four years, the Prime Minister said the administration had delivered on its promises to improve the general conditions at the hospital, even while preparing for construction of a new, modern $40 million national general hospital complex.

He said progress had also been made “in reorganising the management structure of the hospital to improve efficiency, while the Accident & Emergency Department has been reorganised to improve and increase the delivery of specialised services.

“There has also been much expenditure on improvement of hospital equipment, while specialised staff have been employed to improve the quality and efficiency of services delivered,” the Prime Minister added.

General road and vehicular access to the hospital has also been improved in the past four years, the Prime Minister recalled, “with entry and exit facilitated through creation of one-way traffic along Hospital Road and an exit route through to Bananes Bay to the La Toc Highway .

Dr. Anthony also said his government "continues to take steps to decrease the cost of drugs for certain conditions, especially asthma, diabetes and hypertension.” He recalled that government’s expenditure on local and overseas medical attention for those who cannot afford had increased, “even while government has successfully negotiated cancellation of a debt of over four million French Francs owed to the Government of France for services rendered a the La Meynard Hospital in Martinique."

The Prime Minister pointed out that “specialised health services, such as for the disabled and the psychiatric patients. are also receiving government’s attention with emphasis on prevention, early detection, rehabilitation and education of both the disabled and their teachers.”

Dr Anthony’s unannounced visit to Victoria hospital by all accounts. achieved the main objective of availing him of the opportunity of getting a first-hand account of the operation at the nation’s main general hospital.

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