‘No lack of confidence in health system’

There is no lack of confidence in TT’s health care system, since critical services are operating smoothly, Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh said during his ministry’s daily virtual press conference on Monday. But some members of the public are unwilling to access health care services, Deyalsingh said.

He was responding to a question about people with symptoms of the virus not wanting to come forward to be tested for covid19 because they feel the health system is inadequate. Deyalsingh said, “I want to reject that thesis outright. We have to be careful about how we speak about the health care system. I know no complaint that there is a lack of confidence in the health care system.

“What I know is that some people may have an unwillingness to come forward to get tested, and that goes around all over the world.”

He said while there was one mishap while treating a covid19 patient, he asked the public not to use one incident to define the capability of the entire health sector. “Everything has gone well at Couva and Caura (hospitals), at the Home of Football, at Tacarigua. After the initial issues in Brooklyn (the step-down facillity in Sangre Grande), it has still gone well.

Let us not use one issue to define the entire health care system. You could do 999 things right, but you’re always defined by the one thing that goes wrong.”

He said the health system is efficient and he is confident in its ability to care for all patients. “We have no commingle of covid19-positive patients in our health care system, as opposde to other countries.” He said critical services for maternity, cancer, and immunisation were operating smoothly.

He reminded the public, specifically patients needing special or those with symptoms, to use the system.

The ministry will continue its efforts to increase community and random testing, he said. Deyasingh also spoke of plans to maintain the parallel health care system so that TT would be prepared to deal with another wave of the virus or future pandemics.

“As we move from imported cases to sporadic cases, it is inevitable that you are going to get community spread. How wide that is going to be? No one can answer.”

Dr Avery Hinds, medical epidemiologist at the ministry, who was also at the media conference, said the parallel system was well organised and while every pandemic needs a different response, TT remains ready.