Doctors are pushing Bahamians to vaccinate as the country’s main hospital is strained. There are no more beds at Princess Margaret Hospital for COVID-19 patients and external coolers are being used to store bodies.
Reporters took a tour of the hospital on Tuesday and saw firsthand the overwhelming demand on the institution as patients crammed every accessible space.
A passionate Dr Raquell Davis-Hall, Consultant in the Accident and Emergency Department minced no words in describing the dire situation.
“We pass the breaking point.”
She said the A&E Department is the only place that can be used for non-COVID patients waiting to be seen by a physician.
“A&E has been stretched out since.
“We are tired.”
Davis-Hall said since her time at PMH, these times have been the worst as patients are dying quicker. This has led her to believe that the Delta variant may be in the country, although this has not been officially verified.
Health officials are awaiting results sent to a lab overseas to determine if the Delta variant is in the country.
“Patients come in at 12 am. They are breathing. In the next two hours, those persons are dead.
“This Delta variant, we have no empirical evidence that it is in the country. But we know it’s here. And this is the worse it’s ever been. From the whole time of the pandemic, since March 2020, people are dying. Young people are dying.
“People pull up at the Critical Care Block, not breathing.”
Davis said the institution has no space for patients sent from the Family Islands.
Reporters were taken outside where COVID-19 patients were also housed in tents donated by the Samaritan Purse.
Nursing Officer Prescola Rolle said all of the tents were full to capacity.
The medical tents can only hold 35 people. Presently 34 COVID-19 patients occupy the tents and only one more bed is available.