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Heartline Magazine April - June 2003
Profile : Dr. Brian Charles
Dr. Brian Charles describes himself as a Type A person. That means he
thrives on activity, and works through stress.
He has to. As Head of the Accident and Emergency Department (A&E) of the
Queen Elizabeth Hospital (Q.E.H.) he is forced to bear the overwhelming pressure
and responsibility of an area of the health institution that is always under
public scrutiny.
What's it like to run A&E, the most talked about, most controversial, yet
most sought out section of the Q.E.H.?
"Well, let me use the word challenging" he said with a smile. "There is a
lot of pressure on the system, but we have a good team of doctors and nurses who
go far beyond the call of duty to provide service to the public."
It is true that a large percentage of those who go to the A&E Department do
not need to, and clog up the system?
"I won't say that clog up is the right word. The fact is that between 65 and
70 percent of those who come to the A&E are really in need of the service. As in
everything else, there will be those who abuse the system. But that is not many.
And in fairness to some others, they truly think that their illnesses are
emergencies. We have to deal with all of them. We have to be understanding and
do the best we can in the circumstances."
"Barbados has an excellent health care service" he continued, "the trouble
is that we don't always appreciate it. The Q.E.H. is essentially an old plant
that is now having to accommodate many new services, new methods, modern
technologies. What with staff shortages, lack of funding and other difficulties,
making the adjustment is not always easy. Still, the institution does well,
certainly better than others in the region, some with better natural resources."
Born to a Dominican father and Barbadian mother, Dr. Charles grew up in his
native Dominica. He came to Barbados in 1979 to attend the Lodge School, where
he did a year in the Upper Sixth form.
He then went on to the University of the West Indies and graduated in 1983
with a BSc, Upper Second Class honours, in Natural Sciences.
After a year of work at the electronics firm Intel, he started studying
medicine in 1984 at the Mona Campus of the UWI. He graduated in 1989, and in
1990 joined the A&E Department of the Q.E.H., he section he now heads.
While at University he specialized in Emergency Medicine, with a special
interest in Emergency Cardiac Care (ECC), and it is this learning that led him
to the Heart Foundation of Barbados (HFOB), where he is now director ECC
programme.
In 1998 he became a consultant in emergency medicine and is an Associate
Lecturer in Emergency Medicine at the UWI School of Clinical Research and
Medicine.
At 40 years of age Dr. Charles admits to being a fitness buff. He sees
exercise as being key to good health and engages in every form of exercise under
the sun, especially riding, running and kayak surfing.
Following in the footsteps of his father, Dr. Charles is also married to a
Barbadian, Catherine. The couple has two daughters, Ayana 11 and Dominigue 8.
"I am very pleased with my association with the Heart Foundation of
Barbados
and I enjoy my work with the ECC programme", said Dr. Charles. Barbadians, he
finds, "are generally conscious of heart health matters although they are not as
knowledgeable as they should be. That is the mission of the HFOB. Getting the
message of good health and good heart care across to the public."
"In this regard the staff at the Heart Foundation are extremely dedicated"
he said. "Instructors go beyond the call of duty. Doctors, nurses and other
support personnel give their time on a volunteer basis. It's not unusual to see
a doctor spend a full day at the Heart Foundation conducting a course, then
report straight for duty to the Q.E.H. without a break. That kind of commitment
makes you feel good."
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