Regional Health Authorities and hospitals are being "ripped off" by the very high price of orthopedic surgery equipment obtained from local suppliers, says Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh.
Speaking in yesterday's 2018 Budget debate in Parliament, Deyalsingh said the situation has hampered hospitals' ability to perform orthopedic surgery on patients requiring such equipment.
He said orthopedic supplies don't fall under the drug procurement process and RHAs therefore buy from third parties.
The four RHAs spent $26m to buy bolts, pins, joints, plates and other orthopedic supplies, he said.
Holding up a titanium plate, he said that cost US$18 online, "but the RHAs pay local suppliers $5,800 for this."
He also displayed a titanium screw costing US$3.50 "but in T&T it cost $600 — we're being ripped off, it's absurd."
A hip replacement part costing TT$4,092 have also cost RHAs $26,440.
"We've hauled the RHAs over the coals for this. It will now be brought under the Central Tenders Committee," he said.
Deyalsingh said Nipdec will arrange for special tenders and development of specifications to obtain orthopedic supplies via PAHO and support from two orthopedic specialists.
He said the same pricing problem was occurring with drug supplies. He detailed savings on drugs which were purchased from PAHO's strategic fund. One HIV drug on tender cost $2.6m while it cost only $300,000 via PAHO.
Apart from T&T's large non-communicable disease problem, Deyalsingh warned dementia will be T&T's next health crisis, especially vascular dementia caused by blocked arteries, often linked to diabetes.
Deyalsingh said for the first time in 10 years, there were no seasonal flu deaths — as a result of vaccines, he said. He said cases of Zika and Chikungunya fell drastically from 2016 levels. Dengue cases also fell, but he warned while people develop immunity to Zika and ChkV, dengue can recur as there are four types.
