PHILIPSBURG–St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) had a busy 2018, with thousands of patients seeking different medical services at the institution during the year.
The Emergency Room (ER) was perhaps the busiest with a total of 12,779 patients seeking medical attention, according to figures requested from SMMC and provided to The Daily Herald. This represents a slight decrease compared to 2016 and 2017, when primarily non-complex (general practitioner care) cases decreased and the number of complex cases increased, SMMC said. Of the 12,779 ER visits, 44 were tourists.
Thirteen deaths were recorded by the ER last year. No trauma was reported on New Year’s Eve/New Year’s Day.
Operating Room
A total of 1,641 patients had surgical procedures done in SMMC’s Operating Room (OR) last year.
According to the figures, a total of 962 patients underwent general surgery – a total of 23 of these were dialysis patients, who were attended to by visiting vascular surgeon Dr. Mirza Idu.
A total of 576 were gynaecology patients of whom 164 were Caesarean Sections (C-Sections); 94 were ear, nose and throat (ENT) patients, 23 of which were done under the ENT group that began services at SMMC in October last year; 4 were pulmonology patients; 5 were cardiology patients who had either a pacemaker implant or exchange; 308 were urology patients, 288 of whom were operated on by Dr. Diego Ramos and 20 by Dr. Carlos Rojas who started in November; 99 were prostate biopsies; and 69 were trans-urethral resections.
A total of 15 were ophthalmology patients. These include 1 who had an eye injury in October and 12 who had cataracts with lens implants; 1 chalazion and 1 pterygium (the latter three were done in December). There were also two cardio-pulmonary resuscitations (CPRs) in the OR in 2018. There were no OR deaths.
Dialysis
In the area of dialysis, the year 2018 ended with 71 dialysis patients – one doppler echo was done; 31 shuntograms; 18 percutaneous transluminal angioplast (PTAs); 2 flebograms; 2 vein markings; 2 jugular catheter insertions; and 1 jugular catheter removal. “We had three interventions for the year 2018: from January 29 to February 2; from April 28 to May 3; and from August 27 to August 31,” SMMC said.
Ophthalmology
A number of consultations were conducted in the ophthalmology clinic that opened late last year. There were 412 consultations in September; 459 in October; 481 in November; and 404 in December.
Urology clinic
Dr. Ramos saw 2,266 patients in his clinic in 2018 – an average of 188 patients per month. He saw 266 patients in his clinic from November 12 to December 31, (seven weeks).
The total number of urology patients at SMMC was 2,532. Dr. Rojas saw mostly new patients to take the pressure of Dr. Ramos.
Before Dr. Rojas started his clinic, the average waiting time for a new patient to see Dr. Ramos was about four months. At the moment, with two urologists working, the average waiting time to see a urologist is about four to six weeks, SMMC said.
Cardiology
The Cardiology Department saw a total of 73 patients. The department has an implanted cardiac device and there were 41 pacemaker patients; 21 implantable cardiovertor device patients and 11 cardiac re-synchronisation therapy device patients.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/84945-smmc-had-busy-2018-with-12-779-er-visits-and-1-641-or-procedures
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