The Spanish Town Hospital notes the article carried in the Jamaica Observer on Sunday, September 6 related to a patient under its care and wishes to provide clarity and context to the case, so that the public can have a full appreciation of the case and an understanding of hospital triage system. The Hospital rejects the notion that the patient was neglected as he has remained under hospital care, since his admission. It is to be noted that the patient presented to the Accident and Emergency Department of Hospital on October 16, 2025, secondary to being hit by a motor vehicle. The patient required implants to treat his condition and same was requested, however the supplier could not provide the implants at that time.
Assessment of the patient’s case revealed that his condition was not life threatening, and the patient was discharged from the main hospital premises and was to be followed up at the Out-Patient Orthopaedic Clinic.
The patient became a social case and remained under the hospital care and was transferred to a ward managed by the hospital at the Spanish Town Infirmary. He continued to receive treatment and regular assessment while awaiting surgery. Though there is need for surgical intervention, the delay was compounded by the unavailability of the necessary implants required from the supplier, in addition to emergencies that took precedence over the patient’s case, based on the nature and severity of other cases/injuries, as per the hospital triage system.
In the latest update on the case, the Orthopaedic team received the implants in July and at the patient’s last assessment in August, the discussion and arrangement for the surgery were had. The Spanish Town Hospital noted that it strives for the best health outcome for all patients and does same, by expert assessment, to ensure that the urgent and life threatening cases are dealt with in a timely manner, even while attending to non-emergency cases.