3-year surgery wait ‘unacceptable’

THE assurance was given yesterday that the long wait by patients to undergo cataract surgery will soon be a thing of the past. In giving the assurance, Minister of Health, John Rahael said when he assumed office about a year ago he found that persons had to wait  three years and much longer in some cases in order to have surgery done. “That was totally unacceptable,” explained Minister Rahael. The Minister expressed his sentiments when he launched Pharmacy Week at a function held at the Centre Point Mall, Chaguanas, under the auspices of the Pharmacy Board of Trinidad and Tobago. Theme of Pharmacy Week is: “Know your Medicines...Know Your Pharmacist.” Rahael observed that the longest waiting list related to cataract surgery. “To correct this, we entered into an arrangement with the Opthomalogy Society of Trinidad and Tobago (OSTT), and of over 2,500 persons on the waiting list, 1,800 cataract surgeries have been done.

It is hoped to clear up the backlog by the end of January. Noting that over 100 persons request cataract surgery on a monthly basis, Rahael explained that to ensure that the Ministry keeps pace with the requests, an  eye theatre has been established at the Mount Hope Hospital with the necessary staff, including two opthamologists. The theatre will soon be fitted with state-of-the art equipment with staff working five days a week, dealing exclusively with eye surgery. “I know some patients have been given up to the year 2007 in order to get their cataract surgery.  The only reasons why they have been given that date is that it is not generally known that we have already made an assault on the waiting list,” said Rahael. Not only has the Ministry been dealing with cataract, said Rahael. “We have done over 150 hernia surgeries so far, and here again the waiting list will be eliminated, by the first quarter of next year,” explained Rahael. Waiting lists whether they be for fibroids, prostate, or hysterectomy, “our aim is to reduce them them, and eventually put systems in place to prevent any recurrences.” He said before the end of 2005, no one should wait for more than one month in order to have his or her surgery,” said Rahael.