NCRHA opens diabetes wellness centre

STORIES BY MELISSA DOUGHTY

THE formal opening of the North Central Regional Health Authority’s (NCRHA) diabetes wellness centre signals a paradigm shift in TT’s healthcare with the patient being at the centre of services offered.

This is the view of Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh.

Although the centre began operations at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC), Mt Hope on July 23, it was formally opened today.

Joycelin Vilma Jackson, 74, who spoke at the ceremony – having been diagnosed with diabetes for over 18 years, said “having come to this centre I was humbly surprised when I came for 7 am the security was smiling and he asked me to sit.” She said the nurses made those visiting the clinic feel “very comfortable.” Other patients Anisa Gaffoor and Darryl Whitfield also shared their experience about the centre.

Steve DeLas, NCRHA chairman; Davlin Thomas, CEO; Jamila Billy-Thomas, diabetes wellness centre nurse; Dr Malacay Ojuro, EWMSC medical chief of staff; Dr Rodney Ramroop, NCRHA director of health and Dr Boris Mohammed of the wellness centre were in attendance.

Deyalsingh said when he became health minister it was recognised that diabetes was the “number one problem facing TT” and the world.

A World Health Organisation article in May ranked diabetes as the seventh leading cause of death globally.

Saying the love of sugar was an addiction like any other, Deyalsingh said government, recognising that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is a major problem, took a US $55 million loan from the Inter-American Development Bank loan to fight NCDs.

He said the banning of sugary drinks in schools was just one step in the fight to reverse the major problem. He said his administration’s vision is to change TT’s healthcare model from one of reactive, treatment-based medicine to proactive, preventative medicine and that was what the wellness centre is about.

“It is about a paradigm shift. It is, at last, about putting the patient at the centre of the universe of the healthcare system.

“So instead of the patient coming in and, day by day, running to these different sections and two months passes and their condition worsens, in a half day all the services are brought to you.”

He said this same vision, led by culture change, has decreased infant and maternal mortality rates in TT to first world status in two years. “We have now achieved our sustainable development goals for infant and maternal mortality in 2016, 2017 and 2018 to date. And we have done that 12 years ahead of schedule.

“The world is asking TT ‘how did you do it?’ and tell us so we can do it too. The World Bank is now recognising us as a leader in infant mortality rates and maternal mortality rates.

“If we can start to institutionalise this wellness centre throughout the RHAs, use this as a pilot in about six months you can have a positive impact in reduction of people seeking care at an accident and emergency department.”