Rafeeq: Incompetent Imbert blaming UNC

While Health Minister Colm Imbert depicted the Health System suffering from the neglect of the United National Congress (UNC), Opposition Member of Parliament for Caroni Central Dr Hamza Rafeeq portrayed the Minister as achieving little and more concerned with public relations.

Rafeeq, the former Health Minister, was second to speak after Imbert, as debate continued in the 2004 Budget debate in the House yesterday. Rafeeq said the health sector today is marked by constant squabbling between the Minister and doctors, strikes, deterioration of infrastructure, lack of basic drugs, babies dying from lack of basic sanitation and the deterioration of the ambulance service. He said Imbert sought to cover his incompetence by blaming the UNC, although he has been Minister for the past two years. He also blamed doctors, Regional Health Authorities and the media. Rafeeq said the Minister lavished praise on himself for achievements that he “had nothing to do with.” He said $78 million was allocated last year in the Development Programme but the Health Ministry only spent $58 million with babies dying at Mt Hope, overcrowding at San Fernando General Hospital and other ills in the health sector. Rafeeq expressed skeptisim that the Minister would be able to spend the $200 million allocated to the Ministry for 2004.

Responding to the Minister’s criticisms, Rafeeq said money was allocated for SFGH two years ago but work is starting “two years late.” In 2001-2002 the UNC established a fund of $2.5 million to subsidise angiogram, angioplasty and cardiac bypass for needy persons because heart disease is the number one cause of death in TT. However, the allocation has not been increased and only $180,000 was made available. Rafeeq said the UNC also allocated $2.5 million for renal dialysis because of the high incidence of renal failure due to diabetes and high blood pressure. While dialysis machines have been bought in the first phase of the programme, Rafeeq said $2.5 million was allocated last year “but not one cent was spent.” After two years, he said the only thing the PNM has achieved for HIV/AIDS is launching the National AIDS Co-ordinating Committee. He said there was no word on the AIDS testing facility for Tobago which the PM announced in last year’s Budget.

Highlighting other areas of non-performance Rafeeq said thousands were dying of cancer yet “absolutely nothing” was done to start construction of the National Radiotherapy Centre. He said $5 million was left by the UNC to start the process. Rafeeq said people were also dying because the Minister refused to publish the regulations for the Human Tissue Transplant Bill to take effect.  He said there was one area in which the Minister managed to exceed his Budgetary allocation. In 2002-2003 the Ministry was allocated $500,000 for “communication” but the Minister spent $1.5 million.