NO parent wants their child to fall ill or become injured. But if this happens, they will want them to receive prompt care from highly-qualified medical professionals. And it is this quality of care that is being offered at the newly-opened Just Kidz Emergency Medical, which is dedicated to private paediatric urgent care.
The centre has the tagline, "Just about the kidz," which is immediately apparent just after stepping through the door of its offices at 10 Broome Street, St Clair.
At the receptionist's desk there is a festive train toy. On the right is a vibrantly-coloured reading area with an assortment of children's books. There is a trio of funky animal paintings on the left wall and to the right there are rooms with wall-sized paintings by local artists with names such as The Steelpan Suite and The Humming Bird Suite. Upstairs is a workshop area/waiting room with a collection of toys. There is also a wide corridor for children who want to run around.
[caption id="attachment_1052215" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Just Kidz Emergency staff: Paediatrician emergency specialist Dr Paula Robertson, left, registered nurse Jacinta Okafor, office manager Alyssa Gangadeen, Dr Joanna Paul, emergency medicine specialist, receptionist Nathanya Bernard, custodian Charleen Philip, and paediatrician Dr Sean Matthews at Just Kidz Emergency, Broome Street, St Clair - AYANNA KINSALE[/caption]
During Newsday's visit the centre's three doctors welcomed us: emergency medical specialist Dr Joanne Paul, who would be recognisable to the public thanks to her participation in the now defunct Health Ministry covid19 updates; paediatric emergency specialist Dr Paula Robertson; and paediatrician Dr Sean Matthews. The three collectively have more than 50 years' medical experience, mainly in the public sector but also in the private sector.
"Sitting between those two has been interesting because patients for many years have been telling us they want an alternative to the hospital, especially in those scary hours when your paediatrician's office is closed on the weekend or a public holiday. And you are desperately trying to find somebody, and you are worried because your child is unwell," said Robertson.
She, Paul and Matthews had been having discussions "for a long time" about "marrying the expertise of the public sector with the customer service of the private." The concept eventually became Just Kidz Emergency Medical, which opened on October 31.
Paul said it was a concept that had not been done before.
"We have been all over the Caribbean and every Caribbean island has something different. Barbados, though, are the 'kings or queens' of urgent care in terms of unscheduled care. So they have tonnes of urgent care centres (but) they don't have any (for) children, they just have adults."
[caption id="attachment_1052214" align="alignnone" width="1024"] The Steelpan Suite at the Just Kidz Emergency, Broome Street, St Clair - AYANNA KINSALE[/caption]
She explained this was because of the island's transient population, wi
