Construction of the New Peebles Hospital is still ongoing.

Photo Credit: Gordon French/BVI Platinum News

Construction of the New Peebles Hospital is still ongoing.

Photo Credit: Gordon French/BVI Platinum News

The BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) is said to be finalizing its list of staff needed to serve at the new Peebles Hospital, which is scheduled to be completed in August this year.

"We are in the process of finalizing our staffing model for 2013, 2014 and 2015," Mrs. Darlene Carty Baptiste told reporters last evening, February 7.

She added, "Our priority is looking at certain areas where we have shortfalls in our current practice. The very first area of priority for us is our A&E [accident and emergency]. We are looking for specialists in that particular area; A&E nurses and position specialists. We do have at least one [person] out of Government scholarship that we are actually trying to contact to bring back into the system."

She stated that another area of priority is dialysis. According to the CEO, the BVIHSA is looking at upgrading some of the positions and moving those nursing staff out of that particular area and getting dialysis technicians to help augment as the service expands. She made it clear that the plan is not really to expand the unit, but the services.

"We are looking at BVIslanders who received scholarships and are out practicing or participating in other areas to come back to be of resource to us here in the Territory," Mrs. Carty Baptiste pointed out.

Asked about the number of staff that will be needed, the CEO stated that they will not enter the new hospital with a full staff complement.

"It is really not practical for us and in fact, physically impossible for us right now. We can look at increasing by 5, 10 or even 15 percent and looking at marginal increases over the next six months thereafter, revving up to full capacity over the next year... We are building greater efficiency and quality into the organization across the board, so as we build those mechanisms in place we can build greater capacity," Mrs. Carty Baptiste stated.

As it relates to equipment needed for the new hospital, Mrs. Carty Baptiste said not all equipment will be in place immediately to render full occupancy, but this will change over time.

She stated that the BVIHSA is looking for businesses to come in and be partners since there are equipment needed and not all are large pieces.