'Clinics need to have separated budgets'- Dr June M. Samuel
The community meeting came just eight days following the tragic death of Mr Revovion A. Sprauve aka 'Bucky'. Mr Revovion was unable to access medical attention in the night at the Nurse Iris O'Neal (NIOC) where 24-hour operations had seized. Mr Revovion's family members were also present at the meeting.
Present at the community meeting in Virgin Gorda on Saturday, September 6, 2024, was Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley (R9), Minister for Health and Social Development, a team from the Ministry of Health and Social Development, and the Chairman and management of the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA).
Clinics do not have separate budgets- Dr Samuel reveals
Interim Chief Executive Officer of BVIHSA, Dr June M. Samuel said the BVIHSA has an overall budget of 42 million dollars; however, clinics do not have separate budgets.
“That is something that was brought to his attention, just this week we had that conversation about the fact that the clinics need to have separated budgets,” she stated.
Dr Samuel did say the focus of the BVIHSA is ensuring Virgin Gorda receives the comprehensive services provided out of the NIOC.
NIOC has challenges, most services available
The CEO said the clinic does have some challenges, including damage to the air conditioning following the passage of Tropical Storm Ernesto in August.
While this is being addressed, she said the staff will continue to provide services. Patients are able to access lab and x-ray services at the clinic as well as primary care services by physicians and nurses.
The clinic’s 24-hour operations were reinstalled last week and so a nurse is present to deal with any issues after 4:30 PM.
Resumption of specialist services at NIOC
Dr Samuel informed residents that they are looking to resume specialist services which were once offered at the NIOC on a visiting basis.
“We know that there has been a gap in that and we are looking at re-establishing those services that would have been visiting in the past,” she said.
Brochures were also handed out at the community meeting and Dr Samuel encouraged the residents to pay attention to the information on it. She said this includes all services available at the NIOC on a regular basis, in addition to emergency numbers.
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27 Responses to “'Clinics need to have separated budgets'- Dr June M. Samuel”
A man is dead and this is what you could find to say? SICKENING !
I thank you for listening
May we all do likewise if this Territory is supposed to move forward from the brackish water it continues to stagnate in.
Eating healthy foods, drink less alcohol, avoid smoking and yearly checkup with your doctors will be better for your health. I hope that every one that read this article will make a concerted effort to adopt a new life style and don't procrastinate with their health. Remember that prevention is better than cure.
The BVIHSA is financially deprived because they have poor management and highly paid executive managers, who have no modern negotiating or financial management skills and they continue to rely on the Ministry of Health like a suckling baby latched to its mother's breast, when they should be a self sustained company.
The issue in the poor management and poor operational affairs of the BVIHSA comes from the Chairman and the CEO. If the CEO is not able to answer questions and based on what we saw during the press conference as she constantly said she was not aware of the issues that people spoke of, or she did not know, this speaks a lot to her ability to manage.
It is a fact that the BVIHSA is in its dysfunctional state because the persons who are responsible for directly leading the operations of the institution is not capable of doing so and this is where the Minister of Health need to be given the "fail mark." He can see that the persons in the top leadership position do not have what it takes to run the facility, but instead of him moving a motion to reset and identify the appropriate management support to appoint in these positions, he there playing patter cake fishers man. If he chooses to jeopardize his political career, because he insist on acting incompetent and blind to what is in front of him, then let him do so. But he must know that he is doing so at the health, welfare and lives of people of the British Virgin Islands.
breathing down the necks of the ministers there was very little time for familiarization and acclimation to a new ministry. It is unfair to assume that he saw the lack of leadership in those top positions and did not make a move to reset and identify the appropriate management support in these positions when based on your post you know things dont work like that, espically with those statuartory boards. Let's be fair.
my goodness the public highway
my goodness no proper lights on highways
my goodness some of we have no public water
my goodness the dump at pockwood pond