Association for elderly sets up shop at old hospital building

A Tobago Association for the Elderly has been set up at the former hospital at Fort Street, Scarborough and with a promised $100,000 grant from the Division of Health, members are working on outfitting the space.

So announced Health Secretary Dr Agatha Carrington who, speaking at Wednesday’s post Executive Council media briefing at the Administrative Complex in Calder Hall, reminded that the Association was to create an umbrella organisation to address the matters affecting senior citizens in Tobago.

Carrington said the Association will collaborate with a partner agency from Martinique (AMDOR) and will be affiliated to FIAPA (International Federation of Associations of the Elderly).

She also noted that plans for a year-long set of activities, announced on International Day for Women (March 8), have seen the Division already hosting reproductive health workshops with the women as well as diet and exercise workshops.

She said further activities will include other health services and that a pink room would be set up at the old hospital facility, to used by women as a ‘safe’ space.

“We continue with some focus group sessions in the coming months, looking at women overcoming substance abuse. We expect to do those in Roxborough, Glen Road, Canaan/ Bon-Accord, Bethel and Plymouth. As we pursue that, we would have women in Education and Culture in July…,” she said.

Carrington also reported on plans as regards research and development in the health sector in Tobago.

“We’ve been working to develop proposals that would allow for us to do the research that we want to do in our population. Therefore, we have submitted as of yesterday (Tuesday) a call fr papers, responding to a PAHO (Pan American Health Organisation) invitation, we would partner with the Division of Education, Innovation and Energy, on a proposal to address bullying in schools.

“We feel certain that we would have that awarded to us…In addition to that though, we have other proposals that we are looking at in terms of reduction of amputation in our population and we are building our NCD (Non-Communicable Disease) registry, collecting the data and ensuring that we understand what’s happening in our population. We’ve already started collecting data in some of our health centres,” she said.

Carrington also reported that based on approval received last year, the Division will partner with the Family Planning Association, to strengthen their services in Tobago.

She also reported that facilities at the Plymouth Public Cemetery will be upgraded in coming months, while work on the Moriah Health Centre would begin following a sod turning next month.