Health Minister: Private hospitals to give covid19 jabs

Private hospitals have got involved in the vaccination process, working with the Ministry of Health to deliver vaccines at no charge to TT’s population.

At a press conference at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s on Saturday, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said, “We have also taken the decision, now that we have 800,000 doses of vaccines, to make vaccines now available to private hospitals who have agreed to administer these vaccines to their staff, their patients, their clients, their database, their communities, free of charge.”

Private hospitals were just part of the ministry’s expansion of the vaccination roll out. It also intends to expand its communication, reach, and accessibility of vaccines in the next few weeks.

Already, a series of videos featuring religious leaders, scientists and other experts have begun airing. And, from Tuesday, there would be videos and advertisements on traditional and social media featuring people in the social sector.

“(The Ministry will be) having people who different communities look up to for guidance talking to you, talking to their communities about the need to be vaccinated.”

For those willing to be vaccinated but who preferred it to be more convenient, Deyalsingh said there would be three new mass vaccination centres at National Academy for the Performing Arts in Port of Spain, PowerGen Penal Power Station, and the Couva Point Lisas Chamber of Commerce in Couva.

All 109 health centres in the country would also have vaccines available for anyone over 18 except pregnant women and those advised not to do so by a doctor.

He said health centres have already reached out to communities asking people to come in and register for vaccinations. They have done so using its own clinics, loud speakers on vehicles, flyers in mailboxes, religious organisations, NGOs and more. He said the centres asked people for names and phone numbers could be registered and given appointments.

“What we don’t want is what happened last time where you had the elderly out in the sun and rain. We don’t want that. We don’t want that kind of congregation. And that has already started.”

The distribution of vaccines to 64 sentinel physicians was also expanded to a further 50 doctors in various communities. These private doctors would be given vaccines to vaccinate their clients free of charge.

The Prime Minister stressed that vaccination was a voluntary process and the matter of making it mandatory was not before the Cabinet. However, he said if there was a new virus or new variants that were more destructive, and a medicine could save people’s lives, it would be the responsibility of the government to make it mandatory, which would not be a new position because it has been done before.

“We expect that everybody in TT wants to live, wants to survive the virus and therefore we leave it for your action to give you the best chance with that outcome. Because the response to this virus is largely personal responsibility.”

He said the only reasonable response to the pandemic was for TT to become a population of vaccinated people and for individuals not to become a statistic as someone who died from covid19. He lamented the fact that people were taking in lies and misinformation on social media and using that to make decisions.

“When you claim the right to make your choice, just also grant that right to other people to make their choice.”