Covid committee seeks ex-patients' input

THE committee appointed by the Prime Minister to examine the medical treatment given to covid19 patients in the public health system is asking former patients to share their experiences.

The are being asked to do so by using a link to a Ministry of Health website by Friday, the committee said in a statement on Thursday.

At a news conference on January 15 at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's, Dr Rowley had initially given the team, under Prof Terence Seemungal – Dean of the Medical Faculty, UWI, St Augustine, one week to report its findings.

The PM had set up the committee in response to calls by the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) for a panel of independent experts to assess the accuracy of covid19 statistics from the Ministry of Health.

JTUM wanted two nominees from labour, two from government and one named by the President as chairman.

In Thursday’s release, the committee said it was appointed on January 17.

"The committee wishes to obtain the views of covid19 patients treated in the parallel health care hospital system from March 2020 to January 31, 2022. We would like to obtain the views only of people who have been patients of the parallel healthcare hospital system.

"In order to have a full appreciation of the quality of any health service, we must obtain the views of patients who used the services provided."

Covid19 patients were asked to take a confidential survey by visiting the Facebook page or website of the TT Medical Association and find the link to the survey.

The online addresses were: https://www.facebook.com/tntmedicalassoc/ or https://tntmedical.com/survey-experience-of-covid-19-patients-treated-in-public-facilities-in-trinidad-and-tobago/.

"Once you get to the website then scroll down to 'Survey of covid19 patients', click on the link and follow the instructions to get to the survey.

The survey is open until Friday at 9 pm.

"The committee has come directly to the public with this request due to the insistence of the Ministry of Health that the presence of any Ministry of Health participation may bias the outcome of the response of patients.

“This has necessitated this urgent press release requesting of the patients who have used the parallel healthcare system to respond please.

"We thank the Trinidad and Tobago Medical Association for the use of their website."