Health Minister Jerry Narace says Cabinet has approved a $250 million fund for sick children and adults.
Narace was speaking yesterday at the opening ceremony of the new $7 million Morvant Health Centre, Morvant. He said Cabinet recently approved a $250 million fund, under the National Health Service, which gave access to expensive overseas medical treatment for both sick children and adults. Narace said the fund would be pooled from Government subventions and private/public partnerships.
He said the ministry was aiming to build a sustainable fund which would provide continuous relief to those in need. Narace said the Morvant Health Centre represented one of three primary health care facilities opened by the ministry in last five weeks. He said so far 15 facilities have been completed since 2007 and the ministry expected to open six additional facilities during the second half of 2010. He said by 2010 the ministry would have reached its optimum goal of 105 primary health care facilities nationwide. Narace said a goal of opening the full equip health centres was to reduce the strain on the nation's hospitals. Using the example of the newly-opened Siparia Health Care Centre, he said the Morvant centre would be able to treat minor emergencies, such as wounds or minor illnesses.
Addressing political attacks made about the lack of beds at the nation's hospitals, Narace said since 2007 more than 171 hospital beds have been given to the nation's hospitals. He said since 2007 beds at the Sandre Grande Hospital had gone from 99 to 122, St Ann's Hospital from 893 to 953 and the Eric Williams Medical Complex from 267 to 355. He said that was expected to increase by 36 beds. Narace said seven new wards also had been opened, including the orthopaedic and paediatric wards, at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. Narace also addressed the issue of hiring foreign doctors. He said the Government had a long-standing massive programme with bursaries and scholarships to educate local doctors.
He said the Government was funding education, both locally and abroad, to local students to ensure there were adequate local healthcare professionals. He also spoke of the ministry's E-card which allowed doctors to directly access patients medical history to ensure accurate care was given.