Khan: People's Partnership was planning to open a NICU hospital

FORMER health minister Dr Fuad Khan says there were plans under the former UNC-led People’s Partnership (PP) coalition government to build a dedicated hospital for neonatal care.

Khan made this comment on April 16 as he expressed sadness over the deaths of seven babies at the neonatal intensive care unit of the Port of Spain General Hospital (PoSGH) between April 4-9.

“I was in the process of building a stand-alone NICU hospital attached to Mt Hope Women’s Hospital. It was not continued.”

Khan said the hospital was in the planning stages before the September 7, 2015, general election, which the PNM won.

In March 2012, while he was health minister, Khan had to deal with an outbreak of bacterial infections which caused babies at the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) to become sick.

Ten babies were affected in that incident. There were no fatalities.

At that time, Khan told the media, “The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit needs to be spruced up, to be upgraded to internal acceptable standards. In the maternal ward the nurses are short-staffed (but) they are doing their best.

“We should see a decrease in maternal deaths based on proper monitoring and proper staff. We are doing quite well. It has decreased but we are working to have it at a lower level.”

Comparing SFGH and PoSGH, Khan said the latter needed to improve its act and accept babies for intensive care while the former accepts sick babies from around the country.

SFGH falls under the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA). Its chairman in March 2012 was Dr Lackram Bodoe who is now Fyzabad MP.

Asked about the difference between the bacterial infections in babies in 2012 to now, Khan replied, “We had very stringent infection control protocols.”

A doctor, speaking on condition of anonymity, said neonatal health care protocols are strict.

This doctor added these protocols included all staff being masked, gowned and sanitising properly before touching babies.

The doctor also said staff and the babies’ mothers are also supposed to undergo regular swabbing of their nostrils and hands to ensure they are not carrying anything to infect the babies.

At a post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall, St Clair, the Prime Minister said a three-member team from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) will do an independent investigation into the babies’ deaths.

Newsday understands this team is expected to arrive in TT this week.