TRHA owes $27m for helicopter services

THE Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA) currently owes $27 million for helicopter services to transport patients to Trinidad. The revelation was made at a Joint Select Committee (JSC) meeting of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee to examine the internal controls, expenditure and the accessibility and availability of diagnostic imaging services at public health institutions with specific reference to the TRHA.

Dr Victor Wheeler, acting Medical Chief of Staff, Scarborough hospital said Tobago's $70 million cardiac catherisation lab has not been utilised since 2015, and therefore cardiac patients requiring further care are transferred via helicopter to Trinidad.

Asked about the cost of the helicopter transfer, Angel Second-Ali, acting general manager, corporate services, TRHA, said, "It's $115,000 per transfer. It's approximately $60,000 per hour. An average transfer takes one to two hours, hence the $115,000."

THA Chief Administrator Bernadette Solomon-Koroma told the JSC, "We are coming up with a payment plan to address that outstanding liability, and hopefully we can settle this within the next six months. We intend to find that money to pay off that debt."

Solomon-Koroma noted the THA's allocation are received bimonthly instead of quarterly, but promised to "find the money, move it around" to settle the liability.

Shelly Trim, new administrator, Division of Health, Wellness and Social Protection said, "That debt, I'm aware since October 2021, additional funding has been made to the TRHA but that is not the only debt that has been incurred. An additional $4 million has been made available to TRHA since October 2021 and they have been distributing that to clear down other debts. Some has been cleared off, but...it's a recurring debt. It's difficult to pay off entirely."

Explaining the need to transfer patients to Trinidad, Wheeler said,, "The cardiac catherisation lab was functioning. There was a service provider but the contract ended in 2015. Since that time, there have been several efforts for a new service provider, because you recognise the expertise to operate the cath lab is very specialised staff, very specialised doctors and nurses."

Wheeler said attempts by several TRHA boards and health secretaries to acquire a new provider were unsuccessful.

"There were even attempts to get a foreign partner," he added.

Wheeler explained the new procedure for cardiac patients.

"If a patient requires immediate attention and does have a heart attack, they are provided with emergency care at the hospital, and if any intervention is required, we have an arrangement with NCRHA to transfer those patients by helicopter.

"For patients who don't need emergency care but elective care, we outsource that to a provider in Trinidad where the RHA funds that service. If the patient requires more extensive cardiac intervention, we access the Ministry of Health programme."

Wheeler said part of the cath lab has been converted into a covid19 ICU care.

"Until that covid ICU is moved out, which we hope to happen in a month or so, even if we wanted to provide services in the cardiac cath lab we would not be able to."