Joint replacement surgeries should be resuming at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) from next month. That’s the word from Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness Dr Sonia Browne who addressed a couple “grouses” the QEH had been having difficulty with, specifically the lack of surgeries.

While delivering her report at the Barbados Labour Party’s annual conference in Queen’s Park yesterday, she said: “I’m happy to tell you now that the hospital will start its joint replacement surgeries after ten years of no surgeries, that’s right …We’re now starting to do our joint replacement for knee and hip replacements as of November this year, which is next month,” she said.

Browne also reported that a dent had been made in the waiting list for cataract surgeries which she said the public had rightfully been “crying us down about”. “I have good news and I want to give a big shout out to the Ophthalmology Department at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. As of August this year the official number we had from the backlog is just under 500. Between September and as I speak today, we have covered just over 200 cases of the cataract backlog. “It is proposed by the year end the backlog of cataracts will be completed and we’ll move assiduously to move with the new patients,” said Browne.

As for tackling noncommunicable diseases, she said there would be no easing up in this fight noting that over the coming months, the Ministry would be pushing this agenda. She also urged the public to continue supporting the Ministry of Health and Wellness and noted they were looking for funding to outfit the hospital which was opened in 1964. (GBM)

Article originally published by Nation Newspaper, 10/23/2022