Days after the Health Minister stated that construction of the new Central Block at the Port of Spain General Hospital is expected to help with career advancement for healthcare professionals and recruitment of specialist doctors, the Trinidad and Tobago Medical Association ( T&TMA) is calling on him to focus on locally trained specialists.
According to a GML report, the Medical Association said: “We have qualified and trained Healthcare professionals, who do their best every day to care for the patients in their charge, but that care is often thwarted by insufficient bed space, inadequate theatre time resulting in long surgical, ophthalmic, and obstetric waiting lists, lack of paraclinical health support services like physiotherapy, speech therapy and occupational therapy for both our pediatric and adult patients,”
On Monday, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh were present at the site at Upper Charlotte Street, Port of Spain for the official topping off ceremony.
The T&TMA advised that the goal should not just be a lure for qualified specialists who repatriate but also create posts for locally trained specialists for whom no posts are available and remain at Registrar or Acting SMO level indefinitely within the current system.
“We hope that the new POSGH will help to alleviate some of these human resources issues, allowing us to expand the services available to the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago,” the Association said.
The T&TMA said its members look forward to the changes and improved performance in the health sector.