HSA staff served proudly

Members of the Critical Care Unit of the Cayman
Islands Hospital, who took turns in squeezing the
special plastic bag, demonstrated in the picture, that
kept the patient alive when the electricity went off,
(l-r) Lesley Blain, Gina Genovese, Tracey Grimm,
Siyan Baxter, Monica Crowe, Joanne Taylor

Friday, October 29, 2004

During the devastation of Hurricane Ivan, many people in jobs that were vital to the Island’s safety stayed at their post, despite worries about their homes and families. 

The selfless dedication of the Health Service Authority (HSA) staff, some of whom worked continually for 36 hours, has become apparent as the stories of heroic acts emerge.

Dr. Ben Connolly, a physician in the Accident and Emergency Department, swam through eight feet of water so that he could render medical care to patients. The Accident and Emergency Department itself was moved three times during a 24-hour period, in anticipation of flooding, attesting to the hard work and inventiveness of the uncomplaining staff.

Another story involved a patient whose ventilator had to be operated manually, for 23 hours by nurses, while the electricity supply was down. Unit Clerk at the hospital’s Critical Care and Pediatric Unit, Gina Genovese, witnessed the efforts of staff in keeping the ventilated patient alive:

“I’m not a clinician; I just have to say I have a new-found respect for the medical personnel. Everyone was trying to help one another,” she said.

Joanne Taylor, nurse manager in the hospital’s Critical Care Unit, explained what happened: It’s called ‘hand bagging,’” she said, “and it involves a pliable bag attached to the patient’s lungs; you have to squeeze it 16 to 20 times a minute. It can only be done for about 15 to 20 minutes, before you get hand cramps, so we had volunteers from other departments; nurses, paramedics, physicians, midwives. Everybody pitched in.”

Even a local hairdresser and a local teacher took turns squeezing the plastic bag.

“When we were finally able to move the patient off the island all his oxygen levels were all within normal limits, so the people who ‘bagged’ him did a beautiful job; it was a real hospital-wide effort,” said Ms Taylor.
Joan Terry, who is in charge of the hospital’s medical laboratories, said, “ Our main worry was the blood bank, because the blood needs to be kept refrigerated. We were given our own generator unit, so we were able to keep the blood cool.

“The supplies have not been a problem, because we were well stocked up before the hurricane, and since then our supplies are treated as a priority with the airlines.”

Praising her dedicated team of staff, Ms Terry said: “Everybody co-operated. Most of the staff’s homes were flooded, but we made our beds here with air mattresses. Two of us still have no homes to go to, and still have to stay here. I never thought of myself as homeless until somebody told me: ‘We’ll put you on the homeless list.’”

Ms Terry spoke highly of the kitchen, laundry, housekeeping and maintenance staff, whose dedication had helped keep the hospital running: “They really went beyond expectations, because they had their own problems to attend to, but they spent time taking care of everybody else. 

“You just kept on seeing the same faces, and you wondered when they got any rest.”

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