The St. Maarten Medical Center ER Department.
CAY HILL--St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) says the lack of a general practitioner (family doctor) arrangement that deals with their patients during afterhours and weekends leads to overwhelming Emergency Room (ER) visits for non-emergency care, resulting in longer waiting times.
In a press release on Tuesday, the hospital issued a reminder to the public to adhere to the rules and regulations in place to ensure a safe working environment for all at SMMC’s ER.
“In order for ER staff to be able to operate in an efficient and safe manner, the general public is reminded to adhere to the rules and regulations of the ER department,” said the release. “Those that disrupt the ER operations with aggressive behaviour towards ER staff will be requested to leave the premises and if they refuse to do so, law enforcement will be called in to enforce the request.”
Waiting time at ER
SMMC noted that according to a 2021 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average ER waiting time in the United States is around four hours, but this can vary widely depending on the hospital and other factors. “It is worth noting that the waiting times can be longer for patients with less urgent conditions, as they may need to wait for those with more severe conditions to be treated first.”
“At SMMC’s ER, the aim is to provide urgent care to emergency cases as soon as possible. However, the ER is confronted with many non-emergency cases showing up on a daily basis, especially after hours and during the weekend, in absence of a family doctor arrangement that deals with their patients during these hours. As such, the reality is that the ER is overwhelmed at certain times.
SMMC explained that in order to systematically deal with the influx of patients at the ER, a standard medical triage system is used that is geared towards quickly being able to identify the severity of a patient’s condition and prioritise care accordingly.
This is done in the form of colour coding, whereby patients get a certain colour wristband assigned that corresponds to the urgency of their triaged condition. Each colour corresponds with an indicated waiting time.
SMMC stressed that only patients needing emergency care should visit the ER. If you are not sure when to visit, a special video “When to visit the SMMC’s ER or when to go to your Family Doctor” can be viewed at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH7q5HwirUI.
SMMC said it does its utmost to provide optimal care. In case a patient is not satisfied about the services provided and feedback to the staff has not resulted in a satisfactory result, there is a complaint mechanism whereby they can fill out a complaint form, either by hand or digitally. This feedback mechanism is instituted to gather real-time feedback from patients and their families, which will help identify areas for improvement.
The forms are available at the yellow complaint boxes stationed at various locations around the hospital, including the ER, or can be filled out via the website: https://smmc.sx/Patient-Care/Comments-Suggestions-and-Complaints.
“As a reminder to all, please note that SMMC has a strict ‘no photo and/or video’ rule on its premises to ensure patient privacy at all times,” the release concluded.
For more information about SMMC, visit
www.smmc.sx.
