Bermuda’s healthcare system is under increasing strain, leaving patients like Joann Furbert in a desperate battle for life-saving treatment. Furbert, who requires hand surgery and emergency umbilical hernia operation, has been met with repeated delays, forcing her to try and seek treatment overseas.
“I had an appointment with a surgeon in January, and he booked my surgery for April,” Furbert explained, tears in her eyes. “But when I went back to see him for another issue, he told me, ‘I’m sorry, I don’t have a date for your hand surgery.’”
Furbert’s situation is not unique. Reports indicate that the Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) is facing a severe backlog of surgeries, with operating rooms closing at 4 p.m. daily and limited weekend operations. Specialists like Dr. Oleksac and Dr. Vestwebber are struggling to secure surgery slots, even for urgent cases.
“Patients Are Left Waiting Without Answers”
Furbert, who is off dialysis with only 7% kidney function, is at risk. “You tell me this isn’t urgent? I’ve already waited a week,” she said. “It was urgent when it happened, and yet I can’t get a surgery date as yet hoping it will be on Monday.
Growing Concerns Over Bermuda’s Healthcare System
Furbert is not the only patient struggling. Many individuals requiring hip replacements, chemotherapy, and emergency procedures are seeing their surgeries postponed, sometimes at the last minute.
“The hospital cancels appointments and rebooks them, but there are no guarantees,” Furbert said. “People have waited months for hip surgery only to be canceled the day before. If the hospital doesn’t have beds, they cancel—simple as that.”
This crisis is compounded by an increase in diabetes cases, particularly among Bermuda’s youth. “We have a diabetes explosion,” Furbert emphasized. “Young people are developing diabetes, which is the leading cause of kidney failure and an overwhelming number of dialysis patients.”
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