Iris Penn Smith Clinic closure due to staff shortage
The BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) has revealed that the temporary closure of the Iris Penn Smith Clinic in East End is due to a staff shortage.
Marketing & Public Relations Manager at the BVIHSA, Damion Grange, confirmed the staffing issue while speaking on ZBVI Radio on Tuesday, January 14, describing it as one of the factors contributing to the clinic’s closure.
Eighth District Representative Marlon Penn also voiced his concerns during the radio broadcast.
“I have raised the point that the agency is not properly resourced. They haven’t had a board meeting in months because they lack enough board members,” Penn said.
He emphasised the need for better funding for the BVIHSA, pointing out the financial challenges the agency is facing.
“Every time there is a resourcing issue, they have to close the East End clinic,” Penn lamented. “This is not the first time they’ve had this issue. I expressed my concern to the minister yesterday, and I’ll continue to raise it with the BVIHSA.”
“I don’t accept that my people always have to suffer when there’s a resourcing issue,” Penn added.
The BVIHSA had announced the temporary closure of the clinic on Monday, January 13, attributing it to efforts to reallocate resources and streamline operations to improve healthcare delivery in the East End area. During the closure, all services offered at the Iris Penn Smith Clinic are being redirected to the Rosalind Penn Clinic in Long Look. Patients in need of medical care are advised to visit the Long Look clinic.
This development comes shortly after Premier and Minister of Finance Dr. Natalio Wheatley announced plans to write off nearly $20 million in debt owed by the BVIHSA to the government, as part of efforts to support the authority’s financial stability.
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How the duplicitous sister will redirect this to the D9 Rep, just like a magician using sleight of hand. Since the root cause of shortfalls has been exposed to be those greedy private sector providers they have been quiet. They wont take on the powerful. A true sign of a coward is that they will only take on who they perceive to be lees than themselves. Some publications have been complicit in facilitating their disbursement of the false narratives.
Is this because of BVI HSA’s
A. Low wages?
B. Mismanagement?
C. Lack of funding?
D. Lack of Qualified Applicants?
When individuals seek medical care at “local” doctors’ offices, including popular establishments, they are often treated over extended periods without proper escalation jus to get the NHI Money. In many cases, patients requiring urgent care are only referred to specialized facilities like Pebbles at a critical stage, sometimes with fatal outcomes. then they blame the doctors there. This raises serious concerns about timely and effective medical intervention.
Similarly, the issue of expired or poorly stored food in supermarkets also poses significant health risks (cancer). Expired products and deteriorating fruits and vegetables on shelves can lead to severe health problems, contributing to rising rates of illnesses such as cancer. Addressing these systemic issues is crucial for the well-being of our community.
You hit the nail on the head with all that you said. It is so time consuming at the supermarkets examining expiration dates on products. God forbid if you missed doing so one time. One product I did not check the expiration date before consuming and fell seriously ill from the expired product. It was not even a ‘best by’ date.
You all continue to bemoan people from the islands complaining ng to work in the country .
The few nurses from the bvi
Leave
You all curse the police men as well
Amd none of the young bvislanders want to join the force
One main factor
The have to reprimand and lock up their own
People you all nedd to stop