$10M for cataract surgeries, operating theatre

GOVERNMENT has committed $10 million to undertake 3,000 cataract surgeries and establish a state-of-the-art eye surgical theatre at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) this year. Health Minister John Rahael made this announcement at yesterday’s post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall. Rahael explained that given the existing organisational structure, staffing and capacity at the nation’s hospitals, “it is unlikely that the waiting lists (for cataract surgeries) will be significantly reduced utilising existing resources over the next two to three years.”

“In fact, persons who are currently diagnosed with cataract problems are being given appointments for cataract surgeries in 2007 and 2008, by which time it is likely that permanent blindness can occur. This long wait is unacceptable and, therefore, the Ministry is seeking to address the matter with urgency,” he declared. Rahael said while proposals from three qualified service providers to reduce the backlog of cataract surgeries at the nation’s hospitals did not meet the Ministry’s requirements, a proposal from the Ophthalmological Society of Trinidad and Tobago (OSTT) did.

That proposal involves the OSTT undertaking 3,000 cataract surgeries in 2004 at a cost of $7.5 million and providing all surgical services, free operating assessments, post-operative care for the patient up to two months or longer and all the materials to perform the surgery. “The Ministry of Health will provide patients from the hospital waiting lists and arrange for them to appear for screening by the Society. In this regard, the Regional Health Authorities (RHAs) have been mandated to develop reliable patient database of all listed patients requiring cataract surgery. The Ministry will provide the operating theatres to perform cataract surgery at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, San Fernando General Hospital and the EWMSC,” Rahael added.

He said to prevent the reoccurrence of surgical backlogs, a theatre dedicated to the delivery of “state-of-the art national ophthalmology service” will be established at the EWMSC to deal with cataracts and other major eye diseases/disorders. The Minister said it would cost $2.5 million to outfit an existing theatre at EWMSC for that purpose and consideration is already being given to its staffing requirements. “I am hopeful that theatre will be established in a matter of months,” the Minister said.

Rahael added that while cataract surgeries will be undertaken at the nation’s hospitals, they will have the option of referral to this theatre. The Minister said no consideration was given to hiring United Nations Volunteer doctors to staff that theatre. Rahael added that the Tobago House of Assembly and the Finance Ministry were currently discussing ways to reduce the cataract surgical backlog in the sister isle. Rahael also announced that the Ministry has almost eliminated the country’s waiting list for cardiac and paediatric surgeries. “The waiting time for paediatric open heart surgery is just at one month,” the Minister said.