Point Fortin Hospital returns to general health care

As the Ministry of Health continues to record a decrease in covid19 hospitalisations, it will begin decommissioning hospitals in the parallel healthcare system starting with the Point Fortin Hospital on Thursday.

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh announced this during the weekly Wednesday virtual covid19 briefing.

He explained, “Since December 21, our hospital occupancy rates have been coming down.

“Coming out of that, not only our hospital occupancy rates are coming down but our stepdown rates are coming down, our ICU occupancy rates are coming down and our HDU rates are coming down.”

With the Point Fortin Hospital averaging no more than 29 patients a day over the past several weeks, Deyalsingh said the ministry has decided to decommission its use as a facility specifically for covid19 patient care and treatment as outlined in the parallel healthcare system protocols.

The heads of the different regional health authorities (RHAs), Point Fortin MP Kennedy Richards Jr and Point Fortin mayor Saleema Thomas were all consulted about the decision.

“The Point Fortin Hospital, in the short to medium term, is going to be decommissioned as a covid facility and returned to the burgesses of Point Fortin for their use as a general hospital.

“This would have significant benefits to Point Fortin, so they would no longer have to travel to San Fernando to access non-covid primary and secondary healthcare.”

Starting on Thursday, Deyalsingh said the hospital will stop admitting new covid19 patients. The 28 patients currently at the hospital will not be moved.

When all covid patients have left that hospital, Deyalsingh said, it will be deep cleaned, thoroughly sanitised and restocked with the consumables needed to operate as a general hospital.

He estimated the entire decommissioning process to be completed by early March.

Should the rates of hospitalisation continue to trend downwards, Deyalsingh said the Arima General Hospital will be up next for decommissioning from the parallel healthcare system.

“As those hospital numbers come down – if more and more people get vaccinated – then the next hospital we want to take off the grid as a covid facility would be Arima.

“Wouldn’t that be a very nice thing for the people of Arima, Arouca, Tacarigua, Bon Air and all these places?

“This is a very important step we are making as our covid19 response evolves and as our hospital numbers come down.”

Deyalsingh defended the government’s decision when asked if the government, at any point, considered that it may be making a premature decision by decommissioning the hospitals given the possibility of a surge in new covid19 cases due to the omicron variant.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram added, “It (a surge in cases) is something that we are looking at the numbers and we are looking at the A&E levels.

“Across all our A&Es, for quite a while now, we have seen a reduction in the number of people presenting. If of course there is a significant change in the number of cases…we will have to keep an eye on it and reconsider (our decisions).”

Parasram said services as the Couva Hospital and other covid19 facilities will be expanded to accommodate any shortfalls in the system from the Point Fortin Hospital being decommissioned.