New medical equipment by Monday, says Rahael

HEALTH Minister John Rahael announced yesterday that he will receive the first batch of new diagnostic equipment for the nation’s hospitals at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex on Monday January 5. The Minister told Newsday that included in this batch will be mammography machines, X-Ray machines and CT scanners. He said the equipment arrived in the country on Christmas Eve and was made possible through the obtaining of a letter of credit from Citibank and a letter of comfort from the Ministry of Finance in early December.

Rahael revealed that a second batch of diagnostic equipment is scheduled to arrive in Trinidad and Tobago during the first week in February and more equipment will arrive on a monthly basis until April.  He explained that this was part of the Health Ministry’s policy to set targets on a quarterly basis and “keep tracking on a daily basis” to ensure that the said targets are achieved. Rahael added that this was inkeeping with his personal quest “to provide tools and equipment” to the nation’s health care providers so they could do their job effectively. He said the total cost for all the diagnostic equipment is $56 million and the equipment will be sent where they are most in need once they receive the necessary clearance. The Minister added that medical personnel are currently being trained to operate these new machines.

The Minister then disclosed that the seven to eight new ambulances for the Emergency Health Services (EHS) will arrive in TT in mid-January. Their arrival forms part of an agreement between the Government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to provide the EHS with 40 new ambulances. Former Health Minister Colm Imbert repeatedly condemned the former UNC regime for purchasing second-hand ambulances for the EHS and running the EHS into the ground. UNC chairman Wade Mark confirmed that the former government had bought second-hand ambulances but maintained that it was the ruling PNM which caused the EHS to deteriorate.