As Shadow Minister of Health I would like to comment on two recent articles in local papers highlighting the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital's current state of affairs. One in the Bermuda Sun was an exclusive interview with the Minister of Health and the other in the Mid Ocean News featured comments from the new Bermuda Hospitals Board Chairman, Jonathan Brewin.

First and foremost, the United Bermuda Party believes that we have the structure on the island for a superb health care system, the key ingredient being the very capable staff who provide the expert care and comfort that our community needs and expects. Unfortunately, King Edward has structural, staffing and morale problems that require a great deal of attention. The $30 million campaign that will be launched soon asking businesses and the public to pay to fix the structural problems will take care of only the 'bricks and mortar' part of what needs to be initiated to heal our hospital.

After years of neglect by the Smith Government, these problems now require immediate attention. Some of the problem areas are not new; they were defined years ago. Sadly the attention has been lacking over the last four and a half years of the Smith Government and the Progressive Labour Party, and we are now in a critical state with ceilings collapsing, daily plumbing problems, walls damaged and paint blistering.

We all realise that when the PLP assumed the government in November, 1998, there were challenges at King Edward, but the former government had already made a plan to deal with them. The Oughton report and the Andersen report had been completed and many of their recommendations were being implemented. Since November, 1998, we have witnessed a change in direction from applying many of these recommendations. Instead we have witnessed four years of poor leadership appointments, vacillation and procrastination. It has become obvious that the Smith Government's man on the spot, Minister Bascome, isn't working from any plan at all in dealing with the problems, his approach is to deal with them piecemeal, getting his little oilcan out only when the hinge gets too squeaky to ignore.

In the article in the Bermuda Sun, the Minister mentioned some positive steps that have been taken, such as the introduction of MRI technology along with hyperbaric service for wound care, a nursing education programme in conjunction with the Bermuda College; renovation of the Cooper and Perry Wards and the refurbishment of the dietary department.

This can hardly be a record of proud accomplishment by any government in four-and-a- half years, especially since some of these initiatives were put forward under the UBP Government and are only now being acted upon!

The introduction of MRI technology, while a very valuable piece of equipment for health care in Bermuda, jumped ahead of other very pressing hospital needs. The temporary Intensive Care Unit has been situated in the back of a cramped Emergency Department and this should have been a top priority. In addition, the government has stated that the installation of the MRI locally has had the effect of increasing already high insurance premiums.

The Hyperbaric Service is not a PLP initiative, this was implemented before November 1998 and was instigated and funded though an outside fundraising group with the assistance of Dr. David Saul.

The renovation of hospital wards is very important to quality health care. It is only recently, as we approach an election, that work has begun. This is not acceptable.

We still see four-year old holes in the walls and cut wires in many patient rooms because of the removal of the in-room television service - which has still not been resolved!

So tell us Minister Bascome, what have the Smith Government and the PLP really done in their time in power?

Initially the PLP appointed Raymond Dill to chair the Bermuda Hospitals Board. Was it coincidence that Sheila Manderson, a professional and successful Bermudian left soon after? A short time later, Mr Dill was moved to the Housing Corporation, as a result of which we have learned quite a lot about his management style, and that of the PLP.

To replace Mr Dill at the hospital, the PLP appointed another chairman with no tangible qualifications to head this vital board. He was dismissed in March after a very short term in office - thus making a total of three board chairman in four and a half years. If the constant change of leadership was not difficult enough for the Hospital to deal with, board appointments were not completed by January 1, as required by law. Announcements were made well into March and thus any valuable work that could have been instigated by the board was lost in January and February - a familiar situation for many government boards!

The leadership fiasco continues with the current CEO having her contract extended for another year while Bermudians were identified and trained to take over. Where was the progress on that front during the initial three-year term of the contract? Reliable sources of mine reported (and the press has confirmed) that in March a current member of the hospital senior management team was notified of her success in being appointed to replace Mrs. Reid. Hospital staff had also been informed of the news. The Minister then said this was not so.

Then out of the blue, Kurron, a consultant company, appeared to conduct a management audit of the hospital. Not only does this Company come with a very questionable record of value for money and axing jobs, it comes to do a "management audit", as Minister Bascome informs us - with no budget defined or deadline for completion of the work!

Overseas consultants dream of contracts like that! But when you are talking about taxpayer's dollars, it becomes irresponsible almost to the point of criminality. It's like opening up Bermuda's bank account and saying, "Here, help yourself." But it is not unusual, apparently, for the Smith Government. Remember, they admitted, a little reluctantly, perhaps, after questions from the opposition, that they had spent over $20 million on overseas consultants. This was despite their pre-election promises that they would cut the fat out of Government!

It is astonishing that in the waning days of their term, the PLP hire another consultant to tell us what the problems are at the hospital. Why did it take four and a half years to notice the downward spiral? We could see the paint cracking from the beginning, when the Chief Engineer was dismissed without just cause by a PLP appointee. Subsequently a legal suit was brought against the hospital. It was settled by the hospital paying out a sizeable settlement as compensation for wrongful dismissal. The Engineering Department, despite the valiant efforts of its staff, have simply not been able to cope with the day-to-day maintenance of an ageing physical plant, upgrades and the replacement of vital equipment in the Morgue, the kitchen and patient areas, to name a few.

So it is not surprising that Mr. Brewin reveals that a $30-million facelift is needed and that they will be asking businesses and the public to fund it! The problem is that with the Smith government's track record of not delivering on promises and its lack of fiscal responsibility, the community may well be reluctant to buy into an enormous begging campaign like this one.

What is just as curious as the inactivity of the Smith Government on the health front is the recent appointment of a special Cabinet committee to focus on Health. It consists of Ministers Eugene Cox, Bascome, Burch and Brown. The first question has to be why the Minister of Health isn't dealing with the issues. Has he become too hot to handle in yet another area? Is this committee taking over the management of health from him, as Col. Burch had to do at the Housing Corporation? What is their mandate? What have they done? What do they intend to do? Will the public be informed of their progress?

The Smith Government, and the current Minister of Health, have squandered the last four plus years and are scrambling for a path forward.

We all realise that an election is coming, and that the public has the power to make the difference. If the new United Bermuda Party is elected, I can promise that we will dedicate ourselves to moving healthcare quickly into recovery and firmly back to strength. Our new team will position Bermudians to take control at King Edward and we will launch new initiatives that include assisting the elderly and the indigent. We will hit the ground running and be accessible, available and accountable in dealing with Bermuda's issues in health care.

@EDITRULE:

Michael Dunkley MP is the Shadow Minister for Health and Family Services.