Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh has assured that the findings of the PAHO probe will be revealed, despite allegations of an attempted cover-up at the Port of Spain General hospital.
He also confirmed that the three-member PAHO team investigating the deaths of babies at the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit have begun interviewing officials key to the probe.
Speaking with members of the media yesterday at the Caricom Regional Cricket Conference at the Hyatt Regency, the minister said the team would have visited the Neonatal intensive Care Unit at Port-of-Spain, and would have interviewed persons.
Deyalsingh said” “The report will eventually be made public. What is going to happen with this report, if there are any questions for any individuals to answer, the rules of natural justice dictate that they be given an opportunity to answer before it is made public because if it is made public prematurely, you jeopardise any changes you may want to make.
As of Thursday 25th April 2024, the parents of 22 babies have come forward demanding a full investigation into the circumstances of their deaths at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital NICU and two other health facilities.
However, the NWRHA has recognised the deaths of seven infants who died from April 4 to 9 at the NICU.
The Pan American Health Organization team comprises Dr Nalini Singh, MPH Professor Emeritus-in-residence, Professor of Paediatrics, Global Health and Epidemiology, the George Washington University, Washington DC, USA; Dr Grisel Rodriguez, PH Clinical Microbiologist, Head of Microbiology, Centro de Asistencia Medica Soriano and Dr Gillian Birchwood, Newborn Intensive Care Specialist and Head of the Neonatal Care Intensive Unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Barbados. The team arrived on Sunday and subsequently conducted discussions with North West Regional Health Authority officials.