63 nurses, pharmacists & medical practitioners quit BVIHSA after hurricanes
The revelation was by recently BVIHSA’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Ms Paula Chester-Cumberbatch, in her appearance before the Standing Finance Committee, of the Virgin Islands’ (VI) House of Assembly, where she advised that the losses in staff were had as a direct result of hurricanes Irma and Maria last year.
She said in terms of challenges to be faced by the BVIHSA for 2018, 56 members of staff left the organisation after the passage of the hurricanes last year, and an additional seven had given their notices of resignation.
Those staff from served BVIHSA in areas of nursing, medical practitioners, and support areas in terms of the pharmacy and the allied health areas and will have to be replaced.
Austerity Measures
The Finance Committee was at the time examining the BVIHSA’s 2018 draft estimated expenditure for 2018.
The BVIHSA’s CEO disclosed during her appearance also, that while ‘austerity measures’ have been put in place for 2018—to curb its annual expenses—the agency has budgeted to spend $3 million on a ‘Health Information System.’
This, in addition to another $1.5 million, for accreditation of BVIHSA’s services. The proposed spending for this year is documented in the 2018 Report for the Standing Finance Committee.
According to Ms Chester-Cumberbatch, the government agency “needed additional funds for two projects which they had started last year and needed to continue.”
The BVIHSA CEO said, the funds requested for the projects, “were $1.5 million for accreditation of their services and $3 million for a Health Information Systems.”
The report did not document the BVIHSA’s CEO, giving any details on the type of Information System being purchased and from where, or accreditation sought.
Contracts Already Signed!
The House of Assembly report instead said, the CEO advised that the contracts were already signed with the providers prior to hurricanes Irma and Maria.
Ms Chester-Cumberbatch disclosed too that 17 per cent of the entity’s 2018 budget, will go towards the maintenance, repairs and upkeep of the (BVIHSA) facilities, which was of paramount importance, “procurement, local travel, and specialist costs in general.”
Ms Chester-Cumberbatch used the appearance before the Finance Committee to also apprise members of negotiations with the insurance providers, to ensure there was a reduction in malpractice costs by at least $500,000, and “ensuring that their overall banking interests, legal and professional expenses were kept at a minimum level.”
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13 Responses to “63 nurses, pharmacists & medical practitioners quit BVIHSA after hurricanes ”
huge sums just for the doctor visits and for any scans - and still they can't find what is wrong with you, even if
it is obvious, and its already cost thousands to the patient and to the NHI system and nothing has been treated -
well its a vicious cycle of ripoff. Over $300 book charge for initial doctor visit? $1200 for a cat scan that doesn't
show anything, while the persons guts are sticking out? Yeah its broke alright. Best go to another country for any
given medical situation beyond a hangnail.
A bunch of high school children in management positions leading the place base on how they feel about you and based on lies and rumors. It’s time shift the management from the Board come down.
Stop! think b4 u touch that dislike button. Peace y'all.
They run that hospital like a dictatorship.they had no call with that lady being CEO.she has done nothing to improve the services of the hospital.there are some individuals that are detrimental to the hospital which could cause the hospital to go under.the mistreatment of many staff members that continue to go on a daily basis.............the best person that would be CEO would be Dr Harlan Vanterpool.