President Michel tours Seychelles Hospital-Staff urged to take ownership of health services |12 March 2013

President Michel was speaking yesterday after a tour of the Seychelles Hospital where he visited some wards and discussed with staff ways whereby some services and infrastructure can be improved or modernised.

He was accompanied on the tour by Health Minister Mitcy Larue, acting principal secretary Jude Gedeon, special advisor Peggy Vidot and other senior officials.

Upon arrival at the hospital’s ‘Red Roof’ building, where the ministry’s secretariat is located, President Michel and his delegation met management team members for a briefing in the minister’s board room.

The delegation then visited the male surgical ward, also called the D’Offay Ward, where he met consultants in charge and nurse managers.

The ward was almost full -- with 34 patients, and President Michel talked to some of them.

Outside, in front of the main theatre, he was met by the hospital’s project engineer, Elvis Didon, and was shown pipes being laid into the walls, which will conduct oxygen and air from an oxygen plant presently under construction.

When everything is ready, it will be possible to have oxygen in all the wards and treatment rooms, which will not only make it more convenient for patients, but also ease the work load of hospital staff.

Operating theatres are also undergoing extensive renovation. The President heard that once the work is complete, there will be four main surgical theatres and one obstetrics theatre.  There will also be an emergency theatre linked to the emergency and casualty unit.

The presidential delegation also visited the old dental clinic, which is very overcrowded and also calling for urgent renovation. They were received by Dr Wix Cupidon and Elizabeth Arissol.

The tour ended with a “look around” of the administration block in the ‘Red Roof’ building, which included the Overseas Treatment Block, the Accounts section ,the Human Resources and Minister’s Secretariat.
President Michel later told the press that his visit was linked to the renovation programme going on at the hospital, adding this concerns both infrastructure and human resources. 

He noted that health professionals need modern equipment to work efficiently.
He said government recognises that our health professionals, notably the doctors and nurses, are doing excellent work, often in difficult conditions.

He added that they have the government’s full support, adding that a new scheme of service, with several incentives, will soon be implemented.

He said much as we would have loved all our doctors to be Seychellois, we just do not have enough of them, and are obliged to have recourse to a number of expatriates, who are assisting us.

Referring to preventive medicine, President Michel said it is also important that residents adopt a healthy lifestyle.

“Too often, people inflict ill health upon themselves, though drinking too much alcohol or consuming illegal drugs. They end up in hospital where they stress our overworked staff and also put extra pressure on health equipment such as X-rays or dialysis machines.”

Minister Larue said this year, her ministry is focusing on implementation of a new scheme of service, which will initially cover doctors and nurses, but ultimately all medical staff.

She said the surgical theatres, notably the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is also receiving special attention. 
(Our accompanying photos show President Michel and his delegation during his tour of the hospital yesterday.)