Business View Caribbean | August 2019

35 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN AUGUST 2019 “Importantly, although Falmouth Public General Hospital is classified Type C, it is operating at a higher level. The Minister of Health & Wellness, Dr. Christopher Tufton, has indicated on numerous occasions, and in public forums, his intention of upgrading the facility to a Type B, where inpatient and outpatient services are provided in at least five basic specialties – in addition, paediatrics, orthopaedics and physiotherapy. Falmouth Hospital introduced specialist services in obstetrics and gynaecology in 2013, and is in the process of employing a pediatric consultant for the facility, and ultimately the parish of Trelawny. “The Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ), in collaboration with the Ministry of Science, Energy and Technology, will be implementing an Energy Management and Efficiency Program at the Falmouth Public General Hospital. The works will cover the implementation of energy efficiency and renewable energy measures at the facility, which includes design, supply, installation, commissioning, and maintenance. Mobilization of the project was done in May 2019, and work is expected to be completed within twelve months. “The Medical Records Unit is very manual, and urgent upgrading is needed for it to be automated. We are in the process of implementing the eTriage/ePAS System. This will assist in supporting the reduction of patient waiting time - an initiative championed by our Minister of Health and the management of the facility. We are hoping this milestone will be achieved within the financial year 2019/2020.” BVC: What are the priorities for the future of Falmouth Hospital? Wedderburn: “One of the most crucial areas needing attention is customer service. Research has shown that 80 percent of organizations, worldwide, are customer-service oriented. As a hospital, we are striving to be customer-centric in nature. Our desire is for our patients/clients to have a positive customer experience. Secondly, we would like to see the facility expanded in offering more advanced diagnostic services, such CT-Scan, FALMOUTH PUBL I C GENERAL HOSP I TAL JAMA I CA pictured Orville Anderson, Manager Medical Imaging Practitioner