Doctor, consultant say new hospital is in bad shape
“It has been a frequent target of critics, including this newscast. Tonight we take another look at Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, prompted by criticisms of one of its doctors and a disturbing consultant’s report which alleges that the facility was poorly designed, badly constructed and is being inadequately maintained.
Three years ago, the nation’s medical profession took a giant step forward when the doors to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital officially opened to the public. Today, however, this fifty million-dollar structure appears to be as sick as many of the patients inside… because of what contractors and the hospital staff say is bad construction and gross neglect. One doctor who has been consistently outspoken on the state of hospital is Doctor Francis Smith, the Orthopedic Surgeon at K.H.M.H.
Dr. Francis Smith, Orthopedic Surgeon, K.H.M.H.
“It’s really incredible that we moved from the old Belize City Hospital in 1995 and at that time the hospital was categorized as an old dilapidated structure, threatening the lives of patients and medical personnel. We move into a brand new fifty odd million dollar structure and we are being told the same thing now and we are not only being told, I mean we have been there and we see the hospital is badly deteriorated.”
But Doctor Smith’s charges are more than just one man’s opinion. A diagnostic report, submitted by Tony Nijessen, the European Union’s consultant at K.H.M.H., not only stated that over all Belize did not receive value for money, but unless adequate steps are taken to address the flaws and defects at K.H.M.H., the hospital could well become non-operational in the next five years.
Jacqueline Woods
“The report dated June thirtieth, 1997 explains in great detail the critical problems threatening the physical condition and services offered at the hospital. There is a major concern as to whether the hospital would be able to survive a hurricane.”
As these shots reveal, the roof was covered with thousands of loose rock fragments. In a serious storm, these stones would likely become lethal missiles. There is also concern about the building’s electrical installations. The report states that even in a medium size hurricane, Belize City may be expected to flood to a depth of five feet, this would be sufficient to wash out the entire hospital’s electrical work. Even without a hurricane, Dr. Smith says that the hospital is falling apart.
Dr. Francis Smith
“Well quite a few of the bathrooms have had to be closed down. The patients have had to use their rooms because there is no where else to go.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Smith says he has had patients with advanced rheumatoid arthritis and other medical conditions, trying to use a bathroom, hobbling across the ward floors and embarrassing themselves in the process.”
Dr. Francis Smith
“The old hospital had one hundred and eighty seven beds, the new one, the Karl Heusner has one hundred beds. We already had a problem with beds at the old hospital, so you could imagine now with eighty seven reduction what kind of chaos we are dealing with.”
Our camera as well picked up a number of discarded machines and equipment that Smith says have just been left there. He also showed us an intensive care unit that apparently has been non-operational for the past three years, while its machine parts, according to Smith, have been stripped and used on other equipments.
Dr. Francis Smith
“But basically I need instruments to operate sick people and it’s contradictory because I say on one hand the Ministry of Health officials are responsible for holding these instruments for whatever reason. They keep sending me patients especially since a campaign is on. Both political parties keep sending their people to Doctor Smith for whatever reason, to sort out whatever problem and I have been doing it with very primitive instruments.
Like something as simple as a wire cutter. I have had to go to Augusto Quan to buy one of those big red and black ones because the surgical instruments, the ones that should be used, made out of the surgical steel, that one is broken. So we have to cut pins, we have to cut screws and we are doing that with an instrument I bought at Augusto Quan.”
Jacqueline Woods
“Smith also acknowledged that the hospital staff is demoralized and that there is no sense of pride among those working inside the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.”
Dr. Francis Smith
“We are discontented. We are demoralized because Ministry of Health officials can’t come in and tell us, well they can – they do it every day. They want us to work hard; they want us to be there constantly but there is no morale authority because from the specialists, the medical officers, the nurses, the answerable personnel, the people who clean the floor, know about the institutionalize corruption present in the Ministry of Health.”
When we approached Doctor Michael Pitts, the Director of Health Services and asked him to comment on the report, Dr. Pitts declined to come on camera, telling us only that while there are some problems with the hospital, they are not as great as what we are being told. Some physicians according to Dr. Pitts are just out to make trouble for the hospital.
Dr. Francis Smith
“This government has bought not a single orthopedic implant. Well to be fair, not only this government, both parties. They have really not given health; they have not put it on their list of priorities. They keep avoiding the question and I think it is about time that the people of this country start pressuring their political leaders to put more emphasis on health.”
Smith and other doctors at the hospital, have also been highly critical of the way in which they say the ministry has been mishandling funds. That the business of the hospital on a day to day basis is being run… and run poorly… by politicians. Smith cited an example where one patient, because of political leverage was sent abroad for treatment.
Dr. Francis Smith
“One happens to be the Prime Minister’s driver when he had that accident and I was told to lay off that patient; don’t touch him and we are flying him abroad. So they took that fellow abroad and when the bill came back, it was four hundred and seventy thousand Belize dollars and the fellow eventually died.”
The diagnostic report was also extremely critical of a number of key features installed at K.H.M.H. For example, the drainage system was poorly designed. The problem has caused water to remain stagnant under the hospital and in open areas like the gardens between the buildings. A number of ceiling tiles need to be replaced, as there are leaks and improperly mounted. The glass window design is criticized as not being able to withstand the force of a hurricane. The central air conditioning system is subject to frequent breakdowns and patients are put at risk of infection. The report also notes the fire alarm system is not reliable and was never put in proper working order.
When we tried getting a comment from Salvador Fernandez, the Minister of Health, he did not give us an on camera interview, but at the final sitting of the House of Representatives, on July tenth, only hours after we told him our concerns, the Minister did speak a little on some repair work that will be carried out.
Salvador Fernandez, Minister of Health
“I want to actually talk about some repairs we will do at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. We intend to spend some monies when it comes to getting our hospital better prepare for hurricanes, coming up with some shutters. We intend to do some modifications when it comes to the roofing; we intend to do some modifications and some upgrading when it comes to the technical part of our building. We intend to seriously do some minor repairs when it comes to the inner part of the hospital: the wall. And we need to spend some money also on the sewer system, also the air condition, Mr. Speaker.”
But with elections a little over a month away, and politicians busy on the campaign trail, it appears, as usual, the hospital will have to wait.
