Principal medical officer Dr Maryam Abdool-Richards has revealed that 93 beds had been added to the parallel healthcare system between Tuesday and Wednesday.
However, while that may sound like goods news, she said that as fast as beds are being added, they are being filled just as quickly.
She made the announcement at the Health Ministry’s virtual press conference on Wednesday.
Abdool-Richards said a Tacarigua step-down facility was added, which currently has 38 beds. The Debe step-down facility now has 90 beds from just 50 and the new Point Fortin Hospital now has 75 ward-level beds, 15 more than it did before.
She said there is now a total of 891 beds in the parallel healthcare system.
But she pointed out “I’d like to reiterate to members of the population that the bed status is dynamic. It is based on a supply-demand equation.”
The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is now at 80 per cent occupancy, while the high dependency unit (HDU) was at 48 per cent occupancy.
“Total ward occupancy is at 67 per cent. It’s 72 per cent in Trinidad and continues to be 32 per cent in Tobago. We do transition ward-level beds at the Couva Medical and Multi-training Facility, the Arima General Hospital, the Augustus Long Hospital and the Point Fortin Hospital from ward-level beds to ICU-level beds to HDU-level beds, based on the level of care that is required.
“It’s important to note the clinical course of Covid19 continues to be one where clients require between five and 12 days at hospital. We’ve noticed a fluctuation in demand for HDU beds.”
Richards said the Couva field hospital is at 31 per cent occupancy and the Port of Spain field hospital is 100 per cent full.
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