10 new patient monitors have been handed over to the Emergency Department at the CWM Hospital by the International Women’s Association and GE Healthcare to strengthen patient monitoring and support doctors and nurses during emergencies.
IWA President Judy Compain says she recently witnessed two patients being resuscitated at the hospital and saw monitors being moved between them.
Compain says she later contacted a doctor at the hospital to find out how many monitors were available in the Emergency Department and was told there were only three.
She says the Emergency Department is often where people first come into contact with the health system, particularly when they are facing some of the most difficult moments of their lives.
Compain says after asking how many monitors were needed, the department eventually settled on 10.
She says every minute matters in an emergency, and doctors and nurses need to be able to see at a glance what is happening with a patient.
Compain says patient monitors provide clinicians with continuous and reliable information, allowing them to identify when a patient's condition is deteriorating, act quickly and focus their attention where it is needed most.
She says in a busy Emergency Department, the monitors can work like an extra pair of eyes for doctors and nurses.
She acknowledges the long hours and pressure faced by health workers, and says the community should ensure they have the equipment they need to carry out their work.
Compain says the donation was made possible through the generosity and hard work of IWA members, sponsors, supporters and friends.
She also thanked the Ministry of Health, FPBS and Biomed for their assistance with the equipment.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Deepak Sharma says the Emergency Department's previous monitors were installed around 2013 to 2014 and had gone well beyond their intended period of use.
Dr Sharma says the old monitors helped the department through the COVID-19 pandemic, but it was time to replace them.
He says there had been several roadblocks and challenges in securing new monitors, but the department is now receiving new monitors for patients in the resuscitation area, as well as mobile monitors.
Dr Sharma says the mobile monitors will allow staff to continue monitoring patients wherever they are in the Emergency Department, particularly when the department is access-blocked.
He says the new equipment is a major boost for the Emergency Department and thanked IWA and GE Healthcare for helping make the handover possible.
Dr Sharma also conveyed the appreciation of the Acting Medical Superintendent, who was unable to attend the handover because of another meeting.
He says the doctors, nurses and the entire Emergency Department team are sincerely grateful for the support.
