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KHMH Admin Answers To All Charges
posted (June 26, 2013)
And so, when the media got an opportunity, they zeroed several important aspects of the report which are damning.

We looked first on the fact that it took a great tragedy for the hospital to get its act together. Here's how that conversation went:

Daniel Ortiz
"How do you respond to the criticism that all of these improvements have come too late, 12 babies have passed away and if you look at the index case - it's 13; it's too late. These things should have been in place before, the hospital is suppose to give the utmost best care possible."

Dr. Francis Gary Longsworth - CEO, KHMH
"My response would be is that we've been dealing with these issues - I have been dealing with them from the first day I stepped into this hospital, we have made incremental changes in many areas. Perhaps the changes have not come fast enough but there are different reasons for that, some of them financial, some of them human resource issues but it is not that we have not been doing anything for all of these years."

Reporter
"It's intravenous the way the bacteria infected these neonates?"

Dr. Peter Allen - CEO, Ministry of Health
"Yes that is exactly what the PAHO reports states that the most likely root of the infection is from transmissions through intro venous therapies."

Reporter
"So do you accept that it occurred in the Neonatal Unit?"

Dr. Peter Allen
"Well I will accept exactly what the reports suggests - that that is the most likely root of the infection."

Reporter
"Sir, and even though it's inconclusive that that is not the definitive way that caused the bacteria to enter into the unit because they have been so many deficiencies that have been identified. I'm asking point blank - is there anyone or anybody that is responsible for what happened?"

Dr. Peter Allen
"Well I'm glad you ask the question point blank and I wish I could give you a point blank Marion, really I do. But what the report says is that the processes in hospitals in general and the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital as well are far too complex to indicate an individual. Now it may be that an individual made an error."

Reporter
"There was a breakdown in communication from people not reporting what was happening from the start."

Dr. Peter Allen
"I agree with you, there certainly appears to be, reading the report, a series of systematic break downs that point to the need to strengthen the systems at the hospital."

Daniel Ortiz
"An uninformed observer would see this and say that the KHMH authorities, the staff and everyone at the KHMH seem to be getting a free pass just because it isn't determining and conclusive that the bacteria came from one specific source or a specific person. How do you encourage the public that someone will be held responsible for this?"

Dr. Peter Allen
"Well of course the point is that I can't promise you that anybody would be fired, the same way that I can't promise that we will find replacement staff if anybody resigns. We operate in a difficult environment for specialists and human resources but we have to go by the report and the report is truly independent. We really have not tried to hide anything and the Pan-American Health Organization is the most reputable organization of its kind in the Americas. And the report says that it is not able to identify the shortcomings or link the shortcomings to an individual."

Daniel Ortiz
"Minister there have been certain members in the public view - who believe that you are the Minster of Health - the head of this service in the country, should not walk away from this without any blame assigned of you directly. How do you respond to these people who believe that you should answer to those families affected by the neonatal deaths?"

Hon. Pablo Marin - Minister of Health
"I do believe that it's a small amount of persons blaming the Minister. In reality every health system has their problems, in any part of the world. The only thing we have to do is try to do our best to try the remedy all those problems that we have."

Daniel Ortiz
"But it is unacceptable that we say we are doing the best we can and things like these happen. You can't keep on hiding behind the inexperience and the inability - the public deserves improved services."

Hon. Pablo Marin
"But we are improving."

Daniel Ortiz
"After 7 deaths specifically to one bacteria. That is unacceptable that it took 7 deaths or 8, whatever the number is for the Ministry of Health and KHMH to actually reform important things that should have been in there health system, specifically before all of this took place."

Hon. Pablo Marin
"But in any part of the world there is always an outbreak. The outbreak is hard to be stopped or detected immediately. You all know that, you can have the best system in the world and there will be an outbreak. Thank you very much."

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