Jamaica Public Hospitals to accept emergency cases only

Effective immediately, public hospitals islandwide will be restricted to conducting emergency care services only.

This comes as the public health facilities register continued increases in confirmed and suspected cases of COVID-19 infections that required hospitalisation causing the facilities to exceed their COVID-19 isolation capacity.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr Jacquiline Bisasor McKenzie says most hospitals are over the capacity of beds designated for COVID-19 management.

“As such, general hospital beds are being used for COVID-19 care. The rising demand for oxygen also threatens to overwhelm the supply.”

At the same time, hospitals will suspend elective surgeries and begin discharging patients who can receive home care.

Members of the public are being asked to refrain from visiting emergency departments except in cases warranting serious medical attention.

“We encourage persons to be compliant with their medications and to avoid being on the roads to avoid traffic accidents as hospitals will be constrained to deal with these kinds of emergencies,” McKenzie added.

Up to Thursday, August 26, a record 739 positive COVID-19 patients were in the hospital, of which 189 were moderately ill, 92 severely ill and 61 critically ill. There were another 320 patients suspected to have COVID-19 under hospital care.

Jamaicans are again being encouraged to get vaccinated as the COVID-19 vaccines have proven to reduce the severity of illness, hospitalisation and death.

Meanwhile, everyone must continue to be vigilant in their practice of infection prevention and control measures, notably, mask-wearing, maintaining physical distancing from others and frequently washing and/or sanitising hands.