Unregistered nursing homes have been put on notice. The Ministry of Health will be coming for them.
Senior Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George said they had already taken action against unregistered homes and were on the hunt for more.
“We are aware that there are around 67 to 70 in Barbados. However, we are also aware that some of them are not brought to our attention and we intend to move on that. All nursing homes must be brought to the attention of the Ministry of Health. They are required to be registered,” he said.
He explained that the registration process involved the Ministry of Health, the Chief Town Planner and the Environmental Protection Division.
George, who has responsibility for chronic diseases and the elderly, said there were a number of reasons a director of a nursing home might not want to register the business.
George was speaking to the DAILY NATION yesterday during a break of a workshop on disaster preparedness and emergency planning for nursing homes and senior citizens homes.
The workshop was being held in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), at PAHO headquarters, Dayrells Road, Christ Church.
George said the workshop was an effort to bring disaster preparedness closer to nursing and senior citizens homes and the opportunity was being used to speak on general safety as the Fire Service and Police Force had also been invited to speak. (CA)
