Deyalsingh rejects Kamla's shambles claims

HEALTH Minister Terrence Deyalsingh rejected claims by Opposition Kamla Persad-Bissessar that everything in Trinidad and Tobago is in shambles. He gave his rebuttal to Persad-Bissessar during debate on a private motion in the House of Representatives on Friday.

Touching on Persad-Bissessar's claim that health was in shambles, Deyalsingh said, " I hope the following facts captures the public's imagination and attention." He doubted his subsequent words might be accepted by some segments of the population.

"Good news does not sell."

When the UNC-led People's Partnership (PP) government left office on September 7, 2015, Deyalsingh said, "The neonatal mortality rate, the number of neonates dying in this country, was about 13-15 per 1,000 live births."

He asked MPs if they knew what that was today before answering the question himself.

"Today it is six per 1,000. In other words, we have cut it by less than 50 per cent. That means that approximately 100-150 newborns stay alive now. Is that a health system in shambles?"

But Deyalsingh said, "Good news in health has no currency in Trinidad and Tobago. Absolutely none. That is what we did." He told Persad-Bissessar, 'So don't tell the population that everything is in shambles."

Deyalsingh added, "We are in difficult times yes." But he told MPs notwithstanding current challenges, TT met the international benchmark set by the United Nations (UN) for neonatal mortality, 18 years ahead of schedule.

A statement issued earlier in the day by the Health Ministry said, "While the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2030 sets the neonatal mortality target to at least 12 per 1,000 live births, in 2021, Trinidad and Tobago achieved a rate of less than six per 1,000 live births."

The ministry added that last year's newborn death rate "is the lowest ever recorded for the country and was achieved despite the ongoing covid19 pandemic."

Deputy Speaker Esmond Forde overruled an objection raised by Opposition Whip David Lee to Deyalsingh speaking about health issues in the debate.

Referring to comments Persad-Bissessar made about the Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses Programme (GATE) programme in her contribution, Deyalsingh said a review of GATE in 2016 "found that students benefitted from GATE, were mainly from those families with the means to support them without GATE."

He said, "That is the status quo that the UNC wanted to maintain. We (PNM) said no."

Recalling that GATE was restructured to ensure there was greater equity than what obtained under the PP, Deyalsingh said, "Yes money is an issue but with equity, make sure that GATE reaches the people who did not have the wherewithal like other s to support their children with tertiary education."

He supported Education Minister Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly for guiding this initiative through Cabinet. Through, the student bursary initiative, Deyalsingh said resources were directed to help students in particular academic areas that would benefit TT.

"What could be so wrong with that? What could be so objectionable to equity? What could be so objectionable to that colleagues. I put it to you, nothing."