EMERGENCY CASES SURGED SINCE AUGUST 2016

Cases presented at the National Referral Hospital’s emergency department has increased since August this year.

Hospital Chief Executive Officer Dr Steve Aumanu told members of the local media this week.

He says now, the daily emergency attendance has reached an average of 130 cases compared to four weeks ago, where only 40-45 cases were attended.

As a result, Dr Aumanu says the environment and ventilation within the emergency department have deteriorated in the past six weeks because of inadequate cooling systems. Just to see a number of people coming in and out and inadequate maintenance support. This has resulted in an environment and ventilation emergency situation that has compounded the current dengue emergency situation at the emergency department. The hospital is also fully occupied, bed occupancy rate of 100 percent most of the time.”

However, the Hospital CEO adds they are addressing these issues.

“The ventilation and environment at the emergency department are currently being addressed. Eight air conditioning units have been donated to the emergency department by the Forest Association through FSII and the logistic response team plans to install these units as soon as possible. This should resolve the cooling and ventilation within the emergency department at least in the short-term whilst a long-term solution is being decided.”