THE HOSPITAL HAS BEEN COVERING THE COSTS OF TRANSPORTING PATIENTS TO AN ALTERNATIVE CENTRE TO HAVE X-RAYS DONE.

The management of St Jude Hospital has taken steps to ensure that patients have access to medical imaging services. Over the past months, the hospital’s radiology capabilities have been affected with its x-ray machine damaged. However, the Chief Executive Officer says solutions have been employed pending the recommissioning of the equipment.

Diana Henry-Ernest assured the public that the hospital is working assiduously to remedy the situation in the shortest possible time. The x-ray machine has been out of service since March 30. Mrs. Ernest, noting the importance of x-ray services to patients, indicated that in the interim, St. Jude Hospital is covering the cost of transporting patients to Medical Imaging INC to have x-rays done.

“St. Jude is very much aware of the importance of x-ray services. X-ray imaging is one of the ways that we can diagnose problems so we definitely cannot do without x-rays. Because our machine is down at the moment and we are waiting for it to be rectified, we send our patients to Medical Imaging, that’s just in Vieux Fort and we absorb that cost. Sometimes if Medical Imaging is not available at the time we send our patients to Soufriere, but most of the time our x-rays are being done at Medical Imaging.”

The Chief Executive Officer also explained that the relevant personnel have already been contacted and the hospital is making headway in recommissioning the machine. She assured that the hospital will soon be able to provide the high quality diagnostic service to the people of the south.

“Presently we have been doing everything in our power to have the technicians from Santo Domingo diagnose and troubleshoot the problem. We have already been given a quotation. So all we are waiting on is for the part to arrive here, and they will come and install it for us.”