Chastanet Demands Resignation of OKEU Hospital Board

Opposition Leader Allen Chastanet has called for the resignation of the board overseeing the Owen King EU Hospital (OKEUH), citing a collapse in patient care and management at the facility. In a televised New Year’s address on Wednesday night, the United Workers Party (UWP) leader expressed deep concern over the hospital’s conditions, which he observed first-hand during a visit to a sick long-time party supporter late last month. Chastanet criticised what he said was a lack of basic care and dignity for patients that marked a stark contrast to the standards of care provided during the UWP administration. “I was not only dismayed by the conditions there but heartbroken to see the total breakdown of a medical facility that our administration had been running efficiently, even during COVID-19 when finances were at their tightest,” he stated. He also referenced a recent announcement by Dr Damian Greaves, CEO of Millennium Heights Medical Complex, that due to overcrowding, the Accident and Emergency Department would prioritise life-threatening cases and serious conditions, while patients with minor health issues would face extended waiting times. The public was urged to seek alternative care at other facilities, including urgent care units at the Dr Betty Wells Urban...