Point Fortin psychiatric outpatient clinic stays at old hospital

PATIENTS of the psychiatric outpatient clinic at the Point Fortin Hospital were frustrated on Thursday morning.

It transpired that although it was reported on Monday that all the hospital’s departments had moved to the new building, this clinic remains at the Volunteer Road, Mahaica building.
On Monday, Point Fortin MP Kennedy Richards Jr said the new $1.2 billion building was “100 per cent operational” after an eight-month move. The Prime Minister opened the 100-bed facility in July 2020.

The psychiatric clinic is held on the first and third Thursday of each month from 8 am.
But up to two hours before, dozens of patients were wandering between the two buildings to find their clinic.

Several patients told Newsday they had gone to the new building, only to be told the clinic was “still up the road.”

Others said they came to the old building, but security guards there told them all departments had moved and they should go to the new building, at the corner of Techier Street and the Point Fortin Main Road.

This continued until an official from the clinic arrived at the old building and explained that the psychiatric clinic will not be moving “at all.”

One elderly man said, “This not nice for people who travelling. So I came here, then they send me to the new one, then I come back here...Then the pharmacy at the new one.”

The official, too, was frustrated that it was being reported that the department had moved.
Although the pharmacy has moved to the new building, medication will be made available at the old dispensary on the days this clinic is held. So psychiatric patients have the option of going to either dispensary for their medication.
A pharmacist arrived shortly afterwards.