Chad Bryan/Diandra Grandison, STAR Reporters
The Bustamante Hospital for Children is experiencing an overcrowding issue as parents have been flooding the institution due to fears that their children are infected with the Chikungunya Virus.
On Sunday, THE STAR visited the island's only children's hospital and parents expressed that after their kids were admitted, there was no place available for them to lay their heads and they could not leave the hospital without being cleared by the administration.
One man, who had his daughter in his hand, said he was forced to construct a makeshift bed from plyboard and sheet with a mosquito net covering it. He said he came to the hospital on Saturday and by Sunday there was nowhere to put his daughter.
shortage of nurses
"I've been here from 10 a.m., Saturday," he said, "Why not just let me take the child and leave? They say I can't go through the gate without a release form."
THE STAR was also informed yesterday by another parent that she has been at the hospital since Sunday, and she along with her child have been sleeping on the floor due to the lack of beds. She also revealed that there was a shortage of nurses at the hospital and parents were being forced to take over some of their duties.
Parents also told THE STAR that children at the hospital were exhibiting symptoms that appeared to be consistent with the Chikungunya Virus (Chik-V). However, one of the parents told THE STAR that the hospital was conducting blood tests in order to determine if it was actually the mosquito-transmitted virus.
When contacted, Public Relations Officer at the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA), Taneisha Lewis, confirmed that the hospital has been experiencing overcrowding. However, she could not comment on whether the symptoms the children exhibited were due to the Chik-V.
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