Deyalsingh: Data debunks ‘hidden’ covid19 deaths

Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh responding to a question during the sitting last Friday of the House of Represenatives. - TT PARLIAMENT
Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh responding to a question during the sitting last Friday of the House of Represenatives. - TT PARLIAMENT

HEALTH Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said that data from the Registrar General’s Office debunks a claim by the Opposition that TT had deaths due to the covid19 parallel healthcare system.

He was responding to a question in the House last Friday which requested the total number of deaths in TT for the period January to March for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020.

He said the Central Statistical Office (CSO) reported the total number of deaths for the requested period for 2018 was 3,002. For the requested periods in 2019 and 2020 unedited data received by the Registrar General’s Office, and pending verification by the CSO, reported 3,107 deaths for 2019 and 3,052 for 2020.

Deyalsingh recalled in Parliament last week MP for Caroni Central Dr Tim Gopeesingh said, “The minister and the Ministry of Health and the Government have to answer for the loss of lives of those people who did not receive treatment.”

Gopeesingh made the comment last week Friday in the House during a private motion to adopt the Opposition Leader’s proposal of an economic master plan. He had said that because of the parallel healthcare system to address covid19, hospital clinics were shut down, patients, including cancer patients, were not seen, elective surgeries were stopped (this was confirmed by Government) and “their disease processes were worsening due to lack of care and attention.”

Deyalsingh, however, pointed out that in 2020 the figures for total deaths had dropped.

“The number of deaths actually went down. So the untruth being put into the system last week that people are dying because of covid is totally debunked by official figures.”

He continued: “But the UNC is putting a narrative out there that people are dying by the hundreds due to covid. But the official figures absolutely put that conspiracy theory to rest.”

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