Dozens of patients at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) who have been declared medically fit to leave remain at the facility, waiting for relatives who have not come to take them home.
Head of GPHC’s Communications Stacy Peters said some 43 discharged patients remain at the hospital’s Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal, while six others are housed at the main hospital awaiting collection by relatives.
“This issue has been ongoing for a few years now here at the Georgetown Public Hospital, where patients are discharged, their relatives failed to come and pick them up, because of this we have been moving these patients from the hospital wards to the infectious disease hospital that is located in Liliendaal, previously known as Covid hospital,” she told Ignite News.
Peters said patients are usually kept for a day or two after discharge while the hospital’s Social Work Department attempts to contact relatives. When those efforts fail, patients are transferred to the Infectious Diseases Hospital to prevent overcrowding in the wards, though the move can also expose them to viruses and infections.
She noted that many of those left abandoned are elderly persons living with chronic illnesses who need support at home, and are already known to the hospital, having been admitted several times before. She added that while their conditions can often be managed at home with medication and lifestyle changes, some stop following their treatment after discharge and are later readmitted.
Peters said the Infectious Diseases Hospital, while physically large enough to accommodate the patients, still places significant strain on the hospital’s resources.
“So while we have the space, the physical infrastructure available, the challenge on our end has been the human resource to take care of those patients,” she said.
She noted that GPHC usually sees an increase in abandoned patients around the Christmas season.
Peters added that a previous system had allowed relatives to easily identify patients using photos, identification and fingerprints, but it was discontinued after some persons were found to be using the information to access patients’ pensions without taking responsibility for their care.
She encouraged relatives to come forward and collect their loved ones once they are medically discharged, saying the hospital cannot replace the care and support that families provide, and urged relatives to contact the hospital’s Social Work Department on 226-1811 or 227-0051.
