'94 babies alive because of Govt'

HEALTH Minister said 21 mothers are alive today and more than 90 babies are alive each year because of Government's efforts to reduce the maternal mortality rate and the infant mortality rate respectively.

He was contributing to debate on Friday on an Opposition motion calling on the House to condemn the Government for its mismanagement of the health sector.
He said Caroni East MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh in his piloting the motion used innuendo and anecdotal evidence which was not backed up by any statistical data. He asked where was Gopeesingh, an obstetrician and gynaecologist, between 2010 and 2015 when eight to 12 pregnant women were dying every year.

"Where were you? Why didn't you fix it?"
Deyalsingh said this Government has reduced maternal mortality rate to four to six per year "for the most" and achieved the sustainable development goals for maternal mortality 20 years ahead of schedule.

"We have estimated that you have 20 women alive now because we have reduced that rate from 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 20 women are alive now because of this administration. And those statistics cannot be doubted. They can be verified, they can be audited."
He said Gopeesingh made the most outlandish statement that infant mortality remains a challenge. He explained the neonatal mortality rate was 12 per 1,000 live births under the previous administration but this Government reduced it 8.7 per 1,000. He added the sustainable development goal for infant mortality for TT for 2030 is under nine per 1,000.

"Those are facts, those are figures. But my friend stands up here and says the infant mortality rate remains a challenge. It is not a challenge sir. We have brought it down 40 per cent. In other words the same way 20 more mothers are alive during our period when you look at that 12 per 1,000 live births to under nine per 1,000 live births more than 94 babies per year are going home with their parents. Under their stewardship, those 94 babies would have died."

Deyalsingh also reported that women who seek in vitro fertilisation to get pregnant and have ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome will be classified as a risk pregnancy as part of efforts to continue the reduction of the maternal mortality rate.
He also announced the 64-slice CT scanner at San Fernando General Hospital law unused and exposed to the elements for three years under the stewardship of current Fyzabad MP Lackram Bodoe who was then board chairman. He said the motherboard of the scanner had to be changed and the warranty ran out.
"We have been limping with the machine since then."
He reported that before the end of the year the San Fernando General Hospital will have a brand new machine.

On non-communicable diseases (NCD) Deyalsingh said no one has championed the issue more than him and this Government. He recalled that he banned the sale of soft drink in schools. He also mentioned a BBC article calling for a restriction of sugar in baby food.
"Sugar is to this generation what smoking was to other generations. It's a death sentence waiting to happen. And people's refrigerators and pantries are harbingers of death in this country. It is there that children start a slow life of being dependent on sugar and development of NCDs. And I preach that everywhere I go."
He noted that a national NCD programme has begun in TT.