Rowley: Roxborough Hospital will inspire Tobago East

Preaching optimism despite dire circumstances, the Prime Minister borrowed the slogan of a well-known shoe company and encouraged the people of Tobago East to achieve their goals and follow their dreams, regardless of how difficult.

“Just do it. If it needs to be done, if it has to be done, just do it. Sometimes it takes an extra effort, even an extra cost, but just do it.”

Dr Rowley was speaking at the opening of the Roxborough Hospital in Tobago on Tuesday. The hospital was built at a cost of $98 million.

Rowley said the Roxborough Hospital, like the Arima Hospital, Point Fortin Hospital and the Diego Martin Health Centre, was built during a time of “economic difficulty” caused by covid19.

Pointing out that the facility was built in 18 months, Rowley acknowledged that while he was optimistic about the building of the hospital he had a little doubt that it could have been done within the expected time frame.

But he said it was the same optimism which saw the completion of the Roxborough Hospital which got the country through covid19. He said that optimism bolstered his faith in the public healthcare system and ensured that the country followed public health regulations and developed an alternate healthcare system. He said had these strategic moves not been done, it could have left TT’s primary health care system overwhelmed.

“When we look at the virus and the effect that it is having on human beings, we were in a position having no idea what our other response would be other than washing hands and separations. In terms of the biology, until that vaccine was confirmed, we were literally going down an endless road. But the end of the pathway is in sight with the vaccine.

“We still have to do the things we are doing now to prevent the virus from getting to you but if it does get to you, you are in a better position. So we are in a better condition to say that we are almost out of this.”