Shadow Health Minister On Lamb Foggo Centre
“OBA MPs Kenneth Bascome and Nandi Outerbridge have shown that there is a fundamental disconnect in their views of the Lamb Foggo urgent care center and what the people of Bermuda feel,” Shadow Health Minister Zane DeSilva said today.
The debate surrounding the future of the east end centre has been going on for some time now, beginning when then The Bermuda Hospitals Board [BHB] announced last year that they would close the facility, citing financial constraints, and the facility operating at a loss.
In November 2013, Minister Patricia Gordon Pamplin announced that she directed the BHB to keep the Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre open until an “alternative plan is worked out.”
A protest march was also held in November of last year, with crowds of people making their way to the House of Assembly and presenting a petition with thousands of signatures.
Last month, Health & Environment Minister Trevor Moniz said that the Bermuda Hospitals Board will continue to operate the Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Centre to at least March 2015, which will allow the Government, and the Board, to fully consider the options.
In a statement today, Mr. DeSilva said, “In their recent statements, OBA MPs Kenneth Bascome and Nandi Outerbridge have shown that there is a fundamental disconnect in their views of the Lamb Foggo urgent care center and what the people of Bermuda feel.
“Mr. Bascome has made his disregard for the Lamb Foggo Urgent Care Center clear by his reference to it as a convenient care center. This center has serviced thousands of Bermudians and has provided a health resource for Bermudians from all over the island when needed. His seeming contempt for the facility would seem to go against the wishes of the thousands of Bermudians who wish to see the center remain functional.
“In her remarks, MP Outerbridge showed a lack of knowledge and understanding in the status of the urgent care center and why it is in this predicament. One would almost believe that the statement was written for her and did not contain her true thoughts in her own words.
“Patients are less and revenues are less because the OBA government has stripped the urgent care center of it’s diagnostic imaging and laboratory services. Removing these services gave more people less reason to use the facility.
“To compare this urgent care center to a grocery store is an insult to all involved in providing health care at the urgent care center and to the patients that have helped.
“While I am happy that MP Outerbridge has actually spoken up on the issue rather than remaining silent, her speech writer should have gained a fuller understanding of the issues. This has become typical of the OBA government – speaking without doing their homework or just refusing to speak at all.
“Bermuda deserves transparency, accountability and the truth. These are not being delivered by the OBA,” said Mr. DeSilva.
When asked, a spokesperson for the OBA declined to respond.
The old govt spent all the money.now there is none left.
But remember , they are in a hurry to privitize it !
It was built and so it should STAY OPEN, ..don’t care WHO says close it.
It depends what the money is needed for if it is going to be for foregin or political gain they will find the money but just because the people of Bermuda use it not good enough reasons IMO
It’s an expensive, under-utilized first aid post. It always was.
Healthcare and band aids does not equal URGENT CARE. It is incorrectly titled to sound like it is more than it is.
Please rename it to reflect it’s actual function.
Kenny Bascome needs to change his mind on calling for the closure of the UCC ’cause he’s not looking the picture of ‘happy health’ these days. He may need to pay the ‘convenient care center’ a visit one day.
Here are my recommendations, FREE OF CHARGE, for the UCC:
1) Move the St. George’s Health Clinic into that facility.
2) Install a pharmaceutical dispensary–completely outfitted with the usual accoutrements found in pharmacies–printed matter, a gift section and perhaps a little cafe, etc.
3) Lease space to one or two private doctors.
If my simple prescription is adopted the UCC will become fully operational year round and will generate an appreciable revenue. OBA, are you LISTENING?