South hospital pharmacy facing long shutdown

The out-patient pharmacy at the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) is facing indefinite shutdown as a result of the continued shortage of pharmacists, according to South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) chairman Imtiaz Ahamad yesterday. Ahamad told Newsday that while the impasse between the pharmacists and the SWRHA was high on its agenda, he said he was unable to say when the matter would be resolved.

“The remuneration packages for the pharmacists, which were offered by the SWRHA, were not attractive enough for them (the pharmacists), hence the reason for the shortage and closure of the hospital’s out-patient pharmacy. “The SWRHA is currently seeing how best they can have the matter resolved. While it is high on the SWRHA’s agenda, it is, however, unfortunate but it would not be resolved any time soon,” Ahamad said. The hospital’s out-patient pharmacy department has been closed for the past two months due to a shortage of pharmacists.

According to the assistant secretary of the Medical Practitioners Association of Trinidad and Tobago (MPATT), Dr Rajendra Persad, the shortage of pharmacists was caused by the SWRHA’s inability to attract suitably qualified pharmacists. “It was also based on the poor remuneration packages being offered by the SWRHA.” On the issue of the shortage of nurses at the SFGH, Ahamad said, “We need the training of nurses to be on a greater scale.” MPATT also noted that the nursing shortage was based on the inability of the SWRHA to attract and retain nurses due to remuneration issues.