Jesse Ramdeo
Senior Reporter
jesse.ramdeo@cnc3.co.tt
Minister in the Ministry of Health, Dr Rishad Seecheran, is optimistic that the upcoming visit by India Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July will include meaningful discussions on health cooperation.
Speaking to Guardian Media outside the Parliament yesterday, Seecheran said the bilateral engagements between Trinidad and Tobago and India over the years had strengthened ties across certain sectors and he was hoping this would continue with Modi’s impending visit.
“India is a foremost player on the world stage in health and we will try to engage the government in India, through Prime Minister Modi, to see how best that relationship could be an advantage to Trinidad and Tobago,” Seecheran said.
Seecheran said Modi’s visit will be a pivotal moment not just for diplomacy, but for on-the-ground improvement in the health system.
Seecheran emphasised that with India’s technological advancements, especially in affordable healthcare, T&T stands to benefit significantly from shared expertise and joint initiatives.
He further underscored that efforts will also be made to align with a vision for deeper partnerships.
“We will be looking for partnerships. In the past, we have used hospitals in India with assistance from the Children’s Life Fund and we will look to see if we can expand in terms of that avenue, as well as in other areas, possibly pharmaceuticals, health services and we will see how it goes.”
Prime Minister Modi, will visit T&T next month. It will be his first official trip to this country since he assumed the top office in India 11 years ago. However, he did visit this country in 2002 as part of a delegation attending the World Hindu Conference.
According to reports in the Indian media, Modi’s foreign tour will also include a visit to Argentina. He will also travel to Brazil for the BRICS Summit.