Family medicine programme coming

The theme of the Budget was "addressing basic needs," but unlike previous years, the PM did not provide an exact figure for health.

As part of his three-hour address, Manning spent approximately six minutes on "Quality health care and wellness."

He said the promotion of healthy lifestyles and easy access to quality health care were critical components in the Government’s thrust toward developed nation status.

From the onset, Manning said the Government was continuing to strengthen the platform to achieve its goals for Vision 2020, and among the Budget priorities was quality health care service.

Manning said the community outreach family medicine programme will be launched early in the new year.

"This service will be conducted through the use of mobile clinics which will provide a broad range of services including, glucose testing, testing for hypertension, obesity, cholesterol and other dietary disorders, screening for vision, promotion of wellness and healthy living."

Screening will also be provided for mental health and pap smears. Immunisation and family education and counselling are also included in the programme.

Manning said the acquisition of new catheterisation labs will make the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) the "premier cardiac care centre not only in the Caricom region, but in the wider Caribbean." He said the facilities will allow for resumption of advanced cardiac testing as well as angiogram, angioplasty, stenting of the heart, pacemaker implantation, interventional radiology and a centre for electro-physiologic studies and procedures.

Manning said the implementation of the five-year strategic plan for HIV/AIDS which was launched last September 2004 continued to be a priority for the Government. "Laboratory testing as well as a programme for voluntary counselling and testing for HIV/AIDS are being expanded." Data from the National Surveillance Unit and Pan American Health Organisation indicated a progressive decline in reports of new infections from 2002 to the present.

Manning announced the continuation of upgrade and construction on various facilities in the health sector.

He said outreach centres are currently being built in Las Lomas, Williamsville, Gran Couva, Talparo and Guayaguayare, while work was ongoing at the EWMSC and Port-of-Spain and San Fernando General Hospitals. Manning said construction should be completed in 2007 on the Point Fortin, and Scarbarough Hospitals as well as the National Oncology Centre.

Despite setbacks and industrial issues that arose in the health sector, Manning said significant strides had been made in the provision of quality care.

He cited the "phenomenal success" of universal access to the Chronic Disease Assistance Programme (CDAP), introduction of free service at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) for people referred from public health facilities, and reduction of surgical waiting lists. He said CDAP had filled more than 500,000 prescriptions for approximately 150,000 people. There are 36 drugs on the CDAP list.