Khan: Couva Hospital was ready

In an interview with Newsday, Khan said when People’s Partnership Government commissioned the hospital, everything was in place for the facility to be opened.

He disputed claims by the present Government that the hospital was not ready to be opened.

“The hospital was ready for commissioning when we left office, so now I am not sure what is the keep back, I really don’t know,” Khan said.

Khan was among the hundreds of United National Congress supporters who protested on Friday outside the facility.

“I have no idea what is keeping back the opening but a public/ private partnership is a very lovely set of words, it gives you the feeling that the private sector would work with the public sector to deliver but one does not realise that the private sector does not deliver for nothing, whereas the public sector could take a loss,” he said.

Khan said that if that is in fact the arrangement by government, one would have to ask themselves how is it going to be paid for who is going to pay.

“Is it going to be the private patients or what is the mechanism of approach?” he asked.

Khan also said if the government was looking at a public/private partnership, there was no need to hand over a working facility.

He noted that the former government planned to start with the opening of the radiology department, then move to the medical wards, clinic and then the Accident and Emergency Department and Surgical Theatres.