By Robyn Skinner

In the first preliminary accreditation report to be revealed to the public, Bermuda’s hospitals are said to have mould, exposed wires and asbestos. Every three years the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) and the Mid Atlantic Wellness Institute (MWI) is reviewed by the Canadian Council on Health Service (CCHSA).

Their last on-site review was in 2005 and part of the new process this year was also about approaching patients and giving them the chance to participate.

In what is the preliminary report, with official accreditation to be completed in December this year the hospitals received rave reviews for many of the services provided, but continue to be criticised for the state of the hospitals.

It states that: “While the buildings at KEMH and MWI are both older buildings there is evidence of major attempts to keep the present building safe and attractive in keeping with the style and culture of the community.

Later it states that: “There is a notable lack of space in outpatients where it is often necessary to provide pharmaceutical counselling without private space.

“Staff lounges on each ward are very small an not optimal for employee work breaks and meals. OHS (Occupation Health and Safety) meeting minutes indicated that environmental problems of mould, exposed wires in the gym, asbestos and plywood nailed to the window exist and need attention.

“This was a recommendation of the last accreditation report. Apparently requisitions have been put in for this work but there has been no repair work done.” While the overall state of the hospitals was lambasted the report did also pick-out the Critical Care Services for a glowing review. It states that: “This is a magnificent new unit with an award-winning design. The re-assignment of staff when needed is an example of service review and allocation of resources.”

See The Royal Gazette tomorrow for the full story.