Senator Bartekwa Alarms Over Bed Shortage In Hospitals
By Calvin Brooks (LINA)
MONROVIA, Jan. 25 (LINA) – Grand Kru CountyB Senator Numene Bartekwa has raised alarm over the shortage of beds in hospitals and clinics across the country.
According to him, the lack of sufficient beds in hospitals and clinics has contributed to untimely death of patients around the nation.
The Grand Kru County lawmaker made the statement Tuesday through a communication to the plenary of the Senate on Capitol Hill in Monrovia.
He noted that the unwholesome practice of clinics, health centers and hospitals of turning emergency patients away at night hours without first receiving and stabilizing them until the next day, before referring them on claim of there is no bed is killing people.
Senator Bartekwa stressed the no bed situation is causing huge deaths of several persons with minor cases that could easily be managed.
He maintained that if emergency patients were given attention upon arrival at the health institutions, a lot of lives could be saved.
Bartekwa asserted that as soon as a patient is turned away by more than two medical centers that are far apart in distance, the patient will definitely lose hope and eventually die.
The Senator suggested that the Senate considers adding to the National Health Law of Liberia presently before that body, the obligation that every clinic, health center and referral hospital receives all emergency patients between 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. and all medical efforts to stabilize the patient should be exerted.
He indicated that the law should ensure that every health facility should have certain number of reserved campbeds, according to its size, to accommodate emergency patients.
