Dominica-China Friendship Hospital reports strong maternal outcomes, but faces outpatient no-show challenge

The Dominica-China Friendship Hospital (DCFH) has released its 2025 performance report, highlighting both notable successes and pressing challenges in service delivery. Presented by Mrs. Sherry Shillingford-Sorhaindo, Information Research Analyst and Manager for the Health Management Information System at the Dominica Hospitals Authority, the report underscores the institution’s commitment to transparency and evidence-based planning.

Here are some of the key findings.

Maternal & Neonatal Care:
The hospital recorded 513 live births in 2025, with zero maternal deaths and only one neonatal death. This translates to a neonatal mortality rate of 2 per 1,000 live births, well below the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal target of 12 per 1,000. These outcomes were described as a strong indicator of system performance.

Outpatient Services:
Of 25,259 outpatient appointments booked, only 16,494 were completed, leaving a 35% no-show rate. Clinics most affected included ophthalmology, orthopedics, and oncology. Officials noted that this significantly impacts efficiency and patient access.

Accident & Emergency:
The hospital managed 22,863 emergency visits, reflecting its central role in urgent care delivery.

Inpatient Admissions & Mortality:
Across nine clinical units, 5,915 patients were admitted. The overall inpatient mortality rate stood at 6%, with the ICU recording the highest unit-specific mortality at 30%. Medical wards reported mortality rates around 11%, while neonatal outcomes remained strong.

Surgical Services:
Of 2,075 procedures booked, 1,644 were completed, with operating theaters running at 79% utilization. Most surgeries were elective (80%) and public cases (75%). Cancellations accounted for 21% of bookings, prompting calls for improved scheduling.

Bed Occupancy & Length of Stay:
Medical wards frequently operated above 85% occupancy, limiting buffer capacity. Psychiatric services ran at full design capacity, with the male psychiatric ward exceeding capacity every month. Average inpatient stay was 7.2 days, extending to 13.4 days when psychiatric admissions were included.

Marigot Hospital Support:
Complementary services continued at Marigot Hospital, with 3,579 urgent visits and 56 specialty clinics held. Dental services launched in late 2024 continued through 2025.

The report also noted a 6% decline in births compared to 2024, consistent with a decade-long downward trend influenced by storms and the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, maternal outcomes remain exemplary, with no maternal deaths recorded in 2025.

Mrs. Shillingford-Sorhaindo pointed out several priorities for improvement at the Dominica-China Friendship Hospital. She highlighted the importance of capacity management, noting that strategic planning is needed to ease pressure on medical, surgical, and psychiatric units. She also underscored the challenge of appointment adherence, pointing to the high outpatient no-show rate and suggesting interventions such as reminder systems, transportation support, and scheduling reforms. In terms of surgical efficiency, she stressed the need to reduce cancellations in order to expand access to elective procedures. Another area of focus was mortality monitoring, with particular attention to outcomes in the ICU and medical wards. Finally, she called for stronger data-driven planning, encouraging the use of unit-level data to identify bottlenecks and guide effective resource allocation.