by JULIE WILSON

Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) board chairman Horace Cobham is stoutly defending their decision to hire overseas nurses.

Speaking during the QEH's 41st anniversary service at St Michael's Cathedral yesterday, he said: "The reality is, if we are going to make an impact now on the hospital in terms of its performance and the service that you would expect, we have to recruit nurses from overseas."

Cobham told the large congregation, which included QEH chief executive officer Tennyson Springer, Permanent Secretary in the Minsitry of Health Antoinette Williams and other health officials, that eight critical care nurses from the Philippines would be arriving next week. Before year-end, a further 17 general nurses would assume duties at the hospital.

The goal by the end of the first quarter of next year, the chairman said, was to supplement the existing nursing roll with another 75 nurses.

Cobham gave the assurance that Barbadian nurses would not be left out.

At present, there are 90 student nurses in training and this trend was expected to continue over the next three years.

Unfortunately, he said, it took three years for a student to become a registered nurse and thus the need to hire from outside.

Cobham said the last year for the QEH had been very tedious, but he was happy that the transition to a statutory corporation had been completed.

It would allow for greater focus on patient care, he added.

"That is important because we need to focus on the reason for existence, which is the care of patients of the QEH, and that was not efficiently handled through the old structure.

"Today [yesterday] is special because it gives me tremendous pleasure to know and understand that we have the best opportunity to move the organisation forward."

That the process would take some time, however, because of the complex nature of the institution, and he asked for patience as management worked diligently to execute its key priorities.

In the sermon, Dean Frank Marshall said the hospital served a common good for people despite the problems it faced particularly in meeting the complex needs of patients and its staff.

"As a public institution, it will be talked about all over the town, maybe often more in adverse criticism and the context of politics and economics of this community."

juliewilson@nationnews.com