Tim: Don’t pay back GATE

CARONI East MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh said medical graduates who refuse jobs at public hospitals need not pay back the GATE subsidy that funded their studies, contradicting a stance taken by Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh.

Gopeesingh held a news briefing at the Opposition Leader’s office at Charles Street, Port of Spain, to deny remarks made by Deyalsingh the day before at a post-Cabinet briefing.

Asking whether the Government will also now require GATE to be repaid by individuals graduating from institutions such as Costaatt, Gopeesingh hit back: “You can’t change a contract midway through to say they have to pay back GATE. This is unlawful.”

He said while national scholarship winners may be under a duty to work for the State, that does not apply to GATE recipients. Gopeesingh further lamented that the State is not even offering jobs to graduates.

He said public hospitals have 1,065 vacancies for nurses, while 300 nurses are awaiting employment, but the minister has promised to recruit 800 health workers from Cuba. A similar situation exists among doctors, he said, and 300 locals are seeking jobs.

“We have some of the best graduates, unable to get jobs.”

Their plight is worsened by tough conditions imposed on migrant doctors by places such as the US, UK and Canada, which require them to rewrite their exams.

“Foreign countries have closed their doors to our students. It’s pure frustration and hardship being experienced by doctors.”

He urged the Government to improve the facilities and working conditions at public hospitals in order to attract top doctors. Gopeesingh also contradicted claims that doctors don’t want to work in rural areas.

He alleged that the Government wants to make patients pay to be treated at the state-run Couva Hospital. Asking why Couva is any different from the public hospitals at Port of Spain and San Fernando, Gopeesingh said, “This is just political victimisation, vindictiveness and spite.”

He said patients pay taxes and a health surcharge for years and so should not now have to pay to use the Couva Hospital.