Khan: Reduction in infant mortality rates thanks to PP govt

Former Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan has addressed claims made by current minister Terrence Deyalsingh that reductions in infant and maternal mortality rates came about during the PNM's tenure.

Speaking at the PNM's virtual campaign meeting on Tuesday night, Deyalsingh announced that infant mortality rates were reduced by 50 per cent during his term in office as Health Minister, pointing to an estimated 15 infant deaths per thousand before his party assumed office in 2015.

Speaking with Newsday on Wednesday Dr Khan contended that the reduction in infant deaths were the benefits of programmes and policies implemented during his term as Health Minister.

He said the programmes took some time to show the results which Deyalsingh is now accepting credit for.

"I took it on myself and the prime minister at the time Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Dr Lackram Bodoe to put a committee together of experts in the field of maternal and infant mortality which came up with recommendations. This happened during my term in office in 2013 to 2014.

"It will take a while for these things to bear fruit. The fruit started to be borne on 2016 when the maternal and infant mortality started to decline and it was a result of the work of the committee and adapting of the recommendations that came out of the committee that we did which the current Ministry of Health continued."

Khan said while he did not want to "thump his chest" in pride, it was important to note that the work originated from the past administration.

On the issue of infant mortality, Khan said one of the most important revisions of the former reporting system for infant mortality came when he was approached by the United Nations' Children's Fund (UNICEF) to perform an audit.

"We were able to change the method of reporting in the system at the time. Before the method of reported was skewed and wrong because we would originally categorise a stillbirth as a unit of infant mortality and that is not international nomenclature so when we began develop the neonatal intensive care the infant mortality started to decline."

During the meeting, Deyalsingh noted that expectant mothers to come in for testing early to treat signs of hypertension and diabetes that can be potentially fatal for mother and baby.