RISHARD KHAN
rishard.khan@guardian.co.tt
The country's Intensive Care Units for COVID-19 treatment have been threatening to overflow for the past 16 days. But as of Wednesday morning, the ICUs in Trinidad are less occupied than last week's peak.
At its maximum, there were 52 patients warded in ICUs across the parallel healthcare system last week but as of yesterday morning, there were 48 patients. While it may seem like a positive development, it's not.
"A preliminary analysis has shown that there has been an increased number of deaths, unfortunately, and these deaths really come from the persons who require Intensive Care Unit level treatment," the Ministry of Health's Principal Medical Officer of Institutions, Dr Maryam Abdool-Richards said on Wednesday.
However, she noted further analysis is needed on these trends and will be shared with the public.
Dr Abdool-Richards indicated that Tobago's ICU went from almost empty to 100 per cent occupied overnight. She said this demonstrated the evolving nature of the pandemic and how quickly ICU beds can be filled. As of Monday, only one of Tobago's five ICU beds were occupied.
She said the Ministry of Health and all the medical staff at the nation's hospitals were trying their best to manage the situation, however, the public also needs to do its part by getting vaccinated.
She also revealed that out of the 48 patients in ICUs in Trinidad, 46 were not fully vaccinated.