NRH Emergency Ward to be relocated next month

The outside of NRH’s Emergency Ward

The National Referral Hospital’s Accident & Emergency Ward will be relocated to two temporary buildings next month to allow engineers to asses the damage caused by last year’s earthquake

Minister of Health and Medical Services Dr Tautai Angikimua Kaitu’u told Parliament yesterday the current Emergency Ward would relocate to two temporary buildings donated by RAMSI.

Asked on the engineering safety of the Accidents and Emergency ward, Dr Kaitu’u said assessments would be conducted.

“Detailed assessment will be arranged for the Emergency area once a safer alternate site is created,” he said.

“And NRH will have two new buildings installed by the end of September and rearrangement of services will be planned to allow for full assessment of the Accident and Emergency department.

“The Ministry of Health and Medical Services is aware of this risk but we must ensure we move services to a safer place in order to assess the damage to the units being damages in the earthquake.”

A foreign doctor with an Emergency Department worker

NRH’s Accident & Emergency and Labour Wards have experienced structural damage from the earthquake in December last year.

The Labour Ward closed in June, and moved in the Gynechology Ward this week after concerns were raised by staff over the state of the building and its affects on hygiene in the remaining rooms.

However SIBC understands the move was further delayed this week because the area the Labour Ward was supposed to move into had no running water.

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