Lower waiting time for surgeries

HEALTH Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said the time which people have to wait to undergo cataract surgeries at the country’s major public hospitals, is being significantly reduced. Speaking in the House of Representatives Friday, Deyalsingh revealed this waiting period was now “under two months.” He added some people have their procedures done, within one to two weeks. The minister said he was building on the progress made by his predecessor Dr Fuad Khan.

Deyalsingh said many of these patients were people who could not afford to have cataract surgeries done at a private medical institution. He also revealed that a total of 11, 918; 2,359 and 8,398 cataract surgeries were performed at the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH), Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex and Port of Spain General Hospital respectively, between 2008 and 2017. He also said the last time a structural assessment was done on the SFGH was in 2009. That assessment was a preliminary one undertaken by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO).

Earlier in the sitting, Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George approved leave for La Horquetta/Talparo MP Maxie Cuffie from Parliament for this month. Cuffie suffered a stroke last September and has been receiving treatment at a hospital in Washington DC. The first photos of Cuffie in public for the last eight months were circulated online this week.