The Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA) has announced that the general practitioner’s clinic at the Sangre Grande Enhanced Health Centre will be closed on Christmas Day.
It said clients can access services at the nearby Emergency Department, Sangre Grande Hospital Campus.
Services at the Sangre Grande Enhanced Health Centre will resume on December 26 at 9 am.
The ERHA apologised for any inconvenience caused, adding that it seeks to continuously provide the highest quality healthcare to clients.
POLICE Commissioner Allister Guevarro has confirmed that two men were killed during an overnight shootout with police in Sangre Grande on September 21.
Guevarro said an AK-47 was discovered on the crime scene.
A third suspect is under police guard at the Sangre Grande Hospital.
Speaking on the I95.5 Morning Show on September 22, Guevarro who made an appearance to express condolences to the staff on the passing of their colleague and deputy head of news Sterling Henderson, said the matter is at a very sensitive stage.
He said the officers received information, “about a particular intent of individuals and would have engaged in some surveillance and attempt to intercept. At the end of the engagement, two persons were wounded and taken to the hospital where they succumbed to their injuries. An AK-47 rifle was recovered from the vehicle and investigations are continuing.”
The dead men have been identified as Shyien Trancoso and Enrique Garcia, who was said to be a member of the TT Regiment.
Preliminary reports suggest that around 6.37 pm on September 21, the North-Central Gang Intelligence Unit (NCGIU) received information that armed suspects were in a red Honda Vezel at Jairamsingh Village, waiting to carry out a robbery at a business place after the CPL Cricket Finals.
Officers went to the scene, where they observed and monitored the vehicle before attempting to make an intervention.
Officers claimed they were shot at by the occupants of the vehicle and returned fire. The men were taken to the Sangre Grande hospital where two were declared dead around 7.27 pm. Investigations are continuing.
THE decomposing body of an unidentified man was found on the sea shore in Cumana, Toco, on September 5.
Police believe the victim could be one of the 11 people killed in US strike on a Venezuelan vessel allegedly carrying drugs bound for TT.
Initial reports indicated the body bore reddish marks resembling burns on the face, back, and chest, said to be “consistent with an explosion.”
The man’s right arm and right leg were partially amputated, and a piece of cloth was wrapped around his neck.
The discovery has sparked speculation online about whether the death is connected to the alleged US military strike in international waters near neighbouring Venezuela on September 2 that reportedly killed 11 Venezuelan nationals.
Speaking to Newsday on September 6, Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander said efforts are ongoing to identify the man.
He said there has been no confirmation so far that the decomposing body is linked to a recent alleged US military strike.
Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander – Photo by Grevic Alvarado
“We are working to try to identify this person. We are working with several agencies, and this will include the Venezuelan ambassador to TT (Alvaro Enrique Sanchez Cordero),” he said by phone.
Alexander also responded to claims by Venezuelan authorities that footage of the alleged boat strike was AI-generated.
“What happened to the AI conversation? It done?” he asked.
The minister, a former policeman, said in his experience, families of drug addicts would support US actions against drug traffickers.
“What about the families who suffer as a result of drugs? Any level-headed person would appreciate what the Americans are doing,” Alexander said.
He also suggested that not all drug users are willing participants.
Alexander said sometimes it is not the case that the drug users choose to be addicts.
“It can be that drugs were placed in items, sometimes unknowingly, affecting their lives.”
Alexander added that TT has also been significantly affected by both drug and gun trafficking.
A police report said around 9.30 am on September 5, a 47-year-old man from Arima who was camping at O’Halloran Trace in the Toco police district, spotted something floating in the sea.
About an hour later, the object washed ashore, and on closer inspection, he realised it was a bloated, decomposing body.
Police said the body “resembled someone of Spanish descent” and was naked.
Among the first responders were PCs Boodoo and McClatchie, and Insp Sankar.
DMO Dr Lynch ordered the body removed and taken to the Sangre Grande Hospital, where a post-mortem is pending.
PC Iles is continuing investigations.
A photo of the unidentified body has since gone viral on social media, fuelling speculation that the man could be one of the 11 Venezuelans.
The US government claimed the individuals were members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuela-based international criminal organisation.
The boat had reportedly left Venezuela before the alleged encounter in international waters.
Following the attack, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters he believed the drugs that were allegedly carried on the boat were probably headed toward TT.
On September 2, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar praised the alleged US strike and said that all traffickers should be killed “violently.”
However, Venezuelan authorities have dismissed the US claims as false, stating that the video footage shared was generated using AI.
Police are urging anyone with information about the man’s identity to contact the Toco Police Station at 670-8256 or the nearest police station.
Maduro rallies civilian militia
Meanwhile, Venezuela continues to brace for what officials consider external threats to its sovereignty and stability.
Vowing to defend his country’s sovereignty while rejecting what he described as escalating US regime-change efforts, Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro unveiled the launch of over 5,000 communal militia units on the night of September 5.
Via Instagram on September 6, Maduro posted: “We launched the communal militia units to uphold, with the power of the nation, our sovereignty.”
“We will never have a warlike or colonialist military doctrine, since our plans seek to ensure the reign of peace in Venezuela. Long live the homeland! Long live the people!”
The initiative, reportedly part of Venezuela’s “doctrine of peace, not war,” was presented as a grassroots (civilian) defence strategy.
The launch was held at a military base in Caracas, in response to geopolitical tensions after the deployment of US warships and troops in the southern Caribbean.
The US, however, has insisted that the deployment is aimed at cracking down on drug cartels in the region.
Dressed in camouflage as he addressed the gathering late on September 5, Maduro warned that there would be an “armed struggle” in case of any attack.
At the same time, Maduro urged US President Donald Trump to engage in dialogue to avoid conflict.
Several media outlets, including AP News, reported on the launch.
It quoted Maduro as saying, “Venezuela is always ready for dialogue, but we demand respect. None of our differences justifies a high-impact military conflict in South America.”
Another news outlet, Venezuela News, cited Maduro responding to Trump’s claim that Maduro and Venezuela facilitate drug trafficking.
“We are neither a production nor a transit centre,” Maduro said.
Maduro called for Latin American and Caribbean countries to unite in defence of the region.
He also condemned alleged efforts by the US regime to orchestrate regime change.
“The attempt some of your officials are making to bring about regime change in Venezuela is once again a mistake,” he said.
Maduro accused some US government officials of creating a fake “Hollywood-style dossier,” targeting regime change not only in Venezuela but in all countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.
The US does not consider Maduro the legitimate head of the country.
Maduro charged that his government is “more legitimate than ever, more powerful than ever.”
Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab echoed Maduro’s concerns, accusing the US of trying to provoke a rupture or “internal implosion” in Venezuela.
In an interview with VTV’s A Pulso, Saab said this strategy is based on “psychoterror,” a tactic similar to that used in the past against the country.
His comments were also reported on Venezuela News on September 6,
The article quoted Saab as saying these actions seek to generate social chaos through tactics such as mass shopping, unnecessary lines and population confinement.
Already, videos have been circulating, reportedly showing Venezuelan fisherfolk alongside armed forces patrolling the seas to protect the country’s borders.
In Moruga, several fishermen said a crew from the La Ruffin area was reportedly chased and shot at while fishing at sea by members of the Guardia Nacional.
The incident is said to have happened somewhere “on the borderline of the waters” on September 3.
The crew of about four men managed to return to Moruga safely despite a chase.
No injuries or damage to the vessel were reported.
Fishermen did not want to speak on the record.
President of the Grand Chemin Fishing Association Lawrence Toussaint said he had also heard about the incident but could not confirm it.
“The talk right now is for the fishermen to stay within our zone. Apart from that incident, which people say happened on Wednesday, things are calm and normal otherwise down here. People are not panicking or anything like that,” Toussaint said.
About the US-Venezuela tensions, he said: “We cannot do nothing about that. We can only watch and see what is unfolding. For fishermen, it is getting more dangerous to go out at sea.”
POLICE have confirmed that no one has come forward to identify the body of a man that washed ashore on September 5 in Cumana, Toco.
As of September 6, Toco police said the man remained unidentified.
Reports indicate that around 11 am on September 5, police were alerted after the body was spotted in an area known as O’Halloran.
The body was taken to the Sangre Grande Hospital pending a post-mortem.
A photo of the bloated body has been circulating on social media.
The man appeared to be missing his right hand and right foot, and a piece of clothing was found wrapped around his neck.
Social media users have speculated that the man may be a Venezuelan national, possibly one of the 11 Venezuelans reportedly killed in an alleged lethal strike by US military forces off the coast of Venezuela.
The US government claimed to have killed 11 Venezuelans aboard an alleged drug-trafficking vessel on September 2 in international waters in the Southern Caribbean.
The individuals were said to be members of the Venezuela-based international criminal organisation Tren de Aragua.
However, Venezuelan authorities have dismissed the claim as fake, saying the footage of the alleged strike, provided by US authorities, was AI-generated.
Police are calling on anyone with information about the man’s identity to contact the Toco Police Station at 670-8256 or the nearest police station.
A 20-YEAR-OLD WOMAN is recovering after she was attacked with acid outside a bank in Rio Claro on the afternoon of August 11.
Police said the victim, of Agostini Road, Ecclesville in Rio Claro, was standing near Scotiabank on Naparima Mayaro Road shortly before 4 pm on August 11 when a man approached her with an object in his hand and threw a liquid onto her face.
The liquid caused an immediate burning sensation to her eyes, face and lips.
The suspect, described as being dark in complexion and wearing a green Cepep T-shirt, fled the scene on foot.
A passer-by assisted the injured woman and took her to the Rio Claro Health Facility.
She was later transferred to the Sangre Grande Hospital for further treatment.
Officers of the Rio Claro Police Station, including acting Sgts Denoon, and Neaves, acting Cpl Billy and PCs Parris, and Goordeen, responded to the report.
The victim was interviewed, and officers gathered information.
They also visited the scene, where they recovered a bottle of muriatic acid believed to have been used in the attack.
Investigators also reviewed CCTV footage from the area to try to identify the suspect.
No arrests have been made, and investigations are ongoing.
A 34-YEAR-OLD police constable from Sangre Grande was charged after a shooting incident at a nightclub in Sangre Grande on June 20.
After advice, WPC Joseph who was conducting investigations, charged Akel Hypolite with larceny from the person, wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition, possession of a firearm to endanger life and possession of ammunition to endanger life.
These charges stem from a June 20 incident where a 35-year-old woman was shot and injured.
Police said around 3.45 am on June 20, the woman and a friend were at Club Etings in Sangre Grande.
When the friend went to the bathroom, she heard a gunshot. As she came out, the injured woman began walking toward her, before falling. She was shot in her left thigh and taken to the Sangre Grande Hospital.
Crime scene investigators visited Club Etings and found one 9mm spent shell casing.
Hypolite was arrested on July 1 and charged on July 4. His case will be heard before the North Masters High Court on July 7.
The investigation was spearheaded by Insp. Harper and supervised by Sgt Ramdeen and Cpl Mahadeo.
WPC Joseph was also assisted by officers from Sangre Grande CID.
FIVE men were shot and wounded as they drove onto a construction site in Sangre Grande early on July 5.
Police said around 12.45 am on July 5, five men in a black hatchback Nissan Tiida were heading west on Katwaroo Trace, Ojoe Road, Sangre Grande, when they reached a construction site.
They reported hearing several gunshots and were hit multiple times.
One of the men jumped out of the car and hid in a yard while the driver of the car drove to the Sangre Grande Hospital.
Police from the Eastern Division Task Force responded and took the man who jumped out of the car to the hospital.
Police found 13 9mm spent shells at the scene of the incident.
All five men were said to be in a stable condition.
A Rio Claro man was shot while riding his bicycle on May 15.
Initial reports from police said the man was riding in his hometown of Union Village, around 9 pm, when he heard a loud explosion and felt a burning sensation in his back.
The man rode home, where he realised he was shot.
He was taken to the Mayaro Health Facility before being transferred to the Sangre Grande Hospital.
A Mafeking man was found dead at his home on May 13 by his estranged wife.
Jestom Pierre’s body was found by his estranged wife around 4.30 pm after she could not reach him to pick up their child from the Mafeking Government School.
The 25-year-old woman told police she last spoke to Pierre, 30, via WhatsApp around 11.18 pm on May 12.
Police went to his Inner Mafeking Road home and saw a hand protruding through the floor of his dilapidated wooden house.
They said Pierre was clad only in a boxers and had skin discolouration on his face and right hand, blood around his nostrils and a minor bruise on his abdomen.
A District Medical Officer pronounced Pierre dead and ordered the body removed to the Sangre Grande Hospital mortuary pending an autopsy at the Forensic Science Centre.
A Valencia man was shot outside his home shortly after midnight on January 3 and taken to hospital for treatment.
The 25-year-old victim told investigators he was in the gallery of his KP Lands house around 12.15 am when he saw two masked men approaching his fence, armed with what appeared to be guns.
The man attempted to run for safety but was shot in the right leg. He managed to get inside his house and lock the doors, police said. The attackers fled after the shooting.
The victim was taken to the Sangre Grande Hospital by a relative where he was treated and warded in a stable condition.
Crime scene investigators recovered eight spent nine-millimetre shells at the victim’s home.
TWO of the four hunters hospitalised on the night of December 14 after allegedly being poisoned by drinking tainted coffee at a camp in the Cushe forest were expected to be discharged from hospital on December 16.
The update was provided by Hunters’ Search and Rescue Team head Vallence Rambharat. He said the other two hunters remain hospitalised.
Nine hunters went about four miles into the forest on the night of December 14 and fell ill after drinking coffee which is stored at the camp around 7.30 pm.
They were extracted by relatives and taken to the Rio Claro Health Facility, where Vishnu Dipchand, 65, was pronounced dead shortly before midnight after efforts to resuscitate him failed. Four of the men were transferred to the Sangre Grande Hospital for further treatment. The other hunters were treated at Rio Claro and discharged.
Samples of the coffee, water and sugar were collected by the hunters’ relatives who rescued them and handed over to the police.
Dipchand’s daughter, who did not want to be named, said the autopsy, which had been carded for December 16, had been postponed by a day.
Speaking to Newsday after the incident, Rambharat said members of the Ecclesville, Rio Claro community near the forest, suspect the hunters may have been targeted because they were aware of illegal activities in the area.
Police are continuing investigations.
Rambharat said this was a serious incident that could have resulted in nine lives being lost.
“The authorities really have to pursue what really is the motive behind this and find the perpetrator. The person who did this, or persons – they’re monsters.”
A 22-year-old man was stabbed to death by a close female relative in Valencia on September 23, raising the murder toll to 476 for the year.
The dead man has been identified as Jonathan “Toby” Rose.
A relative of the deceased told police she was asleep at her home at Diamond View Lane, Tattoo Trace,Valencia, which is in the same yard as Rose’s home, when, at about 11.40 pm, on September 23 she was awakened by banging on the door.
When she answered she found Rose standing in the doorway with a stab wound to his neck. He was taken to the Sangre Grande Hospital where he died.
She later told police that a close female companion of Windy Hill, Arouca, was at Rose’s house and were in an argument, during which she stabbed him in the dark. After the altercation, she left.
An autopsy is expected to be done at the Forensic Science Centre in St James, to confirm the cause of death.
In a separate incident, a 24-year-old Freeport man barely escaped death as gunmen tried to rob him and his friends while he was playing cards on the night of September 23.
The victim told police at about 1 am, he was liming with friends at Sinaswee Street, when he saw a green car approaching the group.
The car stopped and three men, one armed with a gun, got out of the car and approached the men, announcing a hold-up. The men tried to resist and during the fracas the gun went off, hitting the victim in his right hand.
He was taken to the Couva Health Facility where he was treated. He is now in a stable condition.
POLICE are investigating the murder of a 36-year-old Valencia man on June 21 outside his home.
A neighbour told police he was at his KP Lands home at around 11.15 pm when he heard several loud explosions. Upon investigating he discovered his neighbour Dominic “Saskie” Callendar lying on the ground in front of his white Hyundai H100 vehicle with gunshot wounds.
The police took Callendar to the Sangre Grande Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival at 11.30 pm by Dr Sanbarsingh.
Officers recovered 17 spent shells at the scene. Homicide Region II is continuing investigations.
Meanwhile, a 26-year-old woman is in critical condition after being among three people shot on the same night near their homes at Robinson Lane #1, Sangre Grande.
Police said around 9.10 pm she was walking along Robinson Lane #1 in the company of a 57-year-old woman when they heard several loud explosions after which they felt burning sensations on their body. A 25-year-old man was also shot while at a nearby parlour, despite jumping for cover when he heard the explosions.
All three victims were taken to the Sangre Grande Hospital. The 57-year-old and 25-year-old were warded in stable condition, while the 26-year-old was in critical condition.
Crime scene investigators recovered 58 spent 5.56 and nine-millimetre shell casings.
This story was originally published with the title “Valencia man, 36, murdered” and has been updated to include additional details. See original post below.
POLICE are investigating the murder of a 36-year-old Valencia man on June 21 outside his home.
A neighbour told police he was at his KP Lands home at around 11.15 pm when he heard several loud explosions. Upon investigating he discovered his neighbour Dominic “Saskie” Callendar lying on the ground in front of his white Hyundai H100 vehicle with gunshot wounds.
The police took Callendar to the Sangre Grande Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival at 11.30 pm by Dr Sanbarsingh.
Officers recovered 17 spent shells at the scene. Homicide Region II is continuing investigations.
A 26-YEAR-OLD WOMAN is in critical condition after being among three people shot on the night of June 21 near their homes at Robinson Lane #1, Sangre Grande.
Police said around 9.10 pm she was walking along Robinson Lane #1 in the company of a 57-year-old woman when they heard several loud explosions after which they felt burning sensations on their body.
A 25-year-old man was also shot while at a nearby parlour, despite jumping for cover when he heard the explosions.
All three victims were taken to the Sangre Grande Hospital. The 57-year-old and 25-year-old were warded in stable condition while the 26-year-old was in critical condition.
Crime scene investigators recovered 58 spent 5.56 and nine-millimetre shell casings.
A VALENCIA man was shot and killed by unknown assailants on June 11 while standing at the roadside.
At around 11 am, Sherwin Coxall, 49, was with Nicholas Campo, 35, at the corner of Williams and St Albans roads, Valencia, when a silver Nissan Tiida stopped nearby.
Two armed men, wearing masks, got out and began shooting at Coxall and Campo.
When they fell to the ground the men stopped shooting, got back into the car and drove north along Oropouche Road.
Nearby residents heard the gunshots and called the police, who found Coxall lying on his stomach under a truck parked nearby with gunshot wounds.
Coxall showed no signs of life and the District Medical Officer ordered his body be taken to the Forensic Science Centre for an autopsy.
Campo was shot in the right shoulder. He was assisted by several people who had gathered at the scene, and taken to the Sangre Grande Hospital.
Crime scene investigators found five 40-calibre ammunition, five 9mm spent shells, five projectiles and one deformed projectile.
Police also found a licence plate which is believed to have fallen off the getaway car.
PARENTS whose babies died at the Port of Spain General Hospital’s (PoSGH) neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) have described an independent investigation by a three-member Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) team as a “political pappyshow,” since they were not even interviewed.
The claim was made in a preaction protocol letter sent to the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) on April 27, as another mother joined the class-action lawsuit claiming negligence in the deaths of 16 premature babies, seven of whom died between April 4 and 9 of a bacterial infection.
The woman said her baby died on February 19, from “presumed sepsis” while warded in the NICU.
The letter, signed by attorney Sue Ann Deosaran of Freedom Law Chambers, said while their clients are happy with how quickly the PAHO team concluded its in-country work, they are concerned about the lack of transparency and fairness of the process. This is because it said none of the mothers or fathers whose babies died were contacted to provide a statement or be interviewed by the investigators.
“How on earth could an investigation be conducted into the death of these babies without interviewing their mothers who were the patients? Their experience at the PoSGH at the hands of the doctors and nurses is of obvious and critical relevance to such an investigation. It is patently unfair for the investigators to listen to what the doctors, nurses, and management have to say and base their findings on this one-sided version of what transpired. Our clients are human beings and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect because we are all equal in the eyes of the law and no one should be above the law,” it said.
The letter said this omission explained why their clients’ repeated calls for an independent representative of their choice as part of the investigating team were rejected “without any form of explanation.”
“It is clear that this investigation was nothing more than a political ‘pappyshow’ designed to do political damage control. It is nothing more than a public relations stunt designed to quell public outrage and anger over the death of these innocent babies.”
In a release on April 26, the Ministry of Health said between April 22 and 26 the PAHO team met with officials of the ministry and NWRHA to “conduct a debriefing exercise arising from the in-country mission.”
It said PAHO’s review will continue and, upon completion, a report would be submitted to the ministry.
While the parents take issue with their omission from the PAHO investigation, the letter said they were also left out of the NWRHA’s internal inquiry.
Joining in the class-action suit are market vendor Elisha Felix, 29, and taxi driver Stephen Rodney, 34, who lost their seemingly health baby girl, Azariah on February 19. Although the NWRHA has only confirmed seven babies died at the PoSGH’s NICU within the first week of April owing to the presence of three bacteria, media reports suggest 23 babies similarly died at the hospital from as early as August 2022. Azariah would be the 16th case to join the action against the hospital.
The letter said Felix and Rodney were excited to welcome their first baby after being together for two years but now they are left grappling with overwhelming grief over her loss.
The following is the letter’s account of what transpired before the baby’s death:
On February 4, Felix was transferred from the Sangre Grande Hospital to PoSGH where she gave birth to Azariah at 30 weeks gestation via a caesarian section (C-section). Due to her preterm birth, Azariah was warded in the NICU for observation.
On February 7, the couple was allowed to see their baby for the first time and were overfilled with joy. However, they were informed by medical staff Azariah had jaundice and an infection so she was being given antibiotics. Despite questions about the infection, they were reassured by the nurse these complications were common among premature babies and would soon be resolved.
Over the next few days, Azariah’s condition improved. Her jaundice and infection had subsided allowing her to come off the antibiotics and ventilator. She showed signs of progress by consuming a small amount of breast milk. Discussions were underway to have her transferred to the Sangre Grande Hospital.
However, one day her parents saw her reconnected to the ventilator and were told by a nurse Azariah was placed on stronger antibiotics.
On February 18, Felix and Rodney received a call from the NICU, instructing them to come in urgently as the matter could not be discussed over the phone. On arrival, they saw several doctors surrounding their daughter who was now hooked up to several tubes and equipment, swollen from head to foot, with her hands and feet turning blue. They were informed she would need to be ventilated again and blood was taken from Felix for a compatibility test should a transfusion be required. They were allowed to see Azariah but needed to wear a surgical gown and gloves, a new requirement.
On February 19, they were again called and asked to return to the hospital immediately. Arriving, they found Azariah in a worse condition with doctors saying she was not responding to treatment and had developed a condition called disseminated intravascular coagulopathy – a condition that causes clotting in blood vessels throughout the body. Though confused by the diagnosis, they were reassured by the doctor that this was completely normal to occur in premature babies.
Later that day they received the news that Azariah died. Her death certificate listed “presumed sepsis” as her cause of death, a detail they claim that was never disclosed to the parents.
“While initially, the couple did not question this discrepancy in Azaryah’s cause of death, their perspective has since shifted upon learning about similar situations faced by other parents in recent times. They now wonder if the same bacteria present in the NICU at the time of the cluster of babies’ deaths in April had been present all along and if the medical staff were simply concealing it from them all that time.”
The letter said the NWRHA and its agents were negligent on several fronts and should it fail to settle with its clients, it would be seeking general damages inclusive of aggravated damages, special damages, exemplary damages, interest, costs and any further relief the court deems fit.
THE EDITOR: Is it any wonder we are considered to be a Third World country?
I looked at the front page of Thursday’s papers and was horrified by what I saw.
The Prime Minister and the Health Minister smiling and shaking each other’s hand at the commissioning of the new Sangre Grande Hospital.
The country is faced with the deaths of 11 infants in an unsterilised neonatal clinic, yet we see the Prime Minister and Health Minister, along with a crowd of onlookers, in their street clothes in the newly opened operating room.
I ask the Health Minister, shouldn’t all of you be clad in caps, face masks, scrubs, gloves and booties to be in that room?
How much will it cost to sanitise that room after your departure to make it safe for use? Or maybe you don’t think it should be sanitised.
The Prime Minister has said no stone will be left unturned as investigations begin into the deaths of eight babies at the Port of Spain General Hospital (PoSGH).
Speaking at the new Sangre Grande Hospital campus on April 17 on Ojoe Road, Sangre Grande, Dr Rowley said he brought with him the sadness of eight families.
He said instead of enjoying the tremendous happiness of newborns and the joy they bring to families, as a nation we must now face the reality that some kind of accident at one of our main hospitals resulted in the death of eight babies due to what “appears” to be an accident or shortcoming.
“This puts a burden of sadness over TT.”
The PM criticised people, without calling any names, who he said were using the tragic incident as an opportunity to play the blame game.
He said he “simply” wanted to know what happened at the PoSGH. Rowley said it was easy to say things not supported by facts, calling it the “easy way out,” but stressed that facts were needed and not speculation.
He said knowing what transpired could only make the health system “do and be better.” Rowley said there were processes to be followed when incidents occured, and urged the public to allow the investigation to take place.
Rowley said the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) would launch an independent investigation into the deaths and he was looking forward to its findings.
On Tuesday in the Senate, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said PAHO’s investigation would be determined by the information provided to it by the ministry and the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA).
On Wednesday, Rowley reiterated that government wanted to ensure it was treating with the facts of the investigation and described the entire incident as “very painful.”
Sharing a personal memory, Rowley said he “happens to know what goes on at the PoSGH neonatal care division very well,” lamenting a time when, every evening at 4 pm, he visited the unit expecting to be told his firstborn daughter would not be alive.
“She was born at seven months and weighed three and a half pounds.
“It was the outstanding health-care delivery in PoSGH that has caused me to be the happiest father in the country today.”
Rowley said it was easy for the country to put the health-care system down, but urged the country to first give the system a chance to find out what went wrong and commit to rectifying the issue.
“Health has always been a priority for this government. Hospitals do not guarantee health-care delivery, it is what goes on inside the facility that determines the quality of health-care.”
On Sunday, Newsday reported relatives of seven babies who died at the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) between April 4 and 7 had initiated legal action against the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA), citing medical negligence. They are being represented by Anand Ramlogan.
The pre-action protocol letter alleges a baby with a serious viral infection was transferred from a private medical facility to the NICU “with no precautions taken to isolate the other babies from the risk of infection.”
The letter said its clients observed medical staff not sanitising and washing their hands as they were being asked to do.
The letter was sent on behalf of Shaniya Raymond-Adams, Natasha Samuel, Shaquille Harry, Danyelle Samaroo, Tinelle Saunders, Jodie Molino and Shirese Moore-Beckles to the NWRHA’s CEO, Anthony Blake, claiming “an unprecedented class action claim for medical negligence based on the mass death of seven innocent babies at the PoSGH.”
They are requesting full disclosure of the number of babies who have died at the hospital from January 1 to present and are asking for the records to be e-mailed to them by no later than April 15 at 4 pm.
Two more pre-action protocol letters have since been sent to the NWRHA. So far it has been revealed that eleven babies have died owing to bacterial infection at the PoSGH’s NICU since February.
![[UPDATED] Valencia man murdered, three shot in Sangre Grande](https://newsday.co.tt/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/17074991-e1733252538338-825x510.jpg)
