Woman fears relatives’ deaths

In a phone interview with Newsday, Singh said her mother spent over nine hours at the hospital last Wednesday without being seen by a doctor after complaining of severe chest pains.

Her mother, the Tunapuna resident said, has been awaiting a coronary angiogram for months. Singh said it was only after her mother returned home from the hospital that morning that a doctor called and asked how she was doing.

Singh said she is a constant visitor to the health institution as she makes frequent visits with her family members. She added that medications such as Plavix and Ramipril had to be purchased even when her relatives were there because they were unavailable in the hospital.

“I don’t know what is happening. All they keep telling me is write your complaint. I am totally fed up,” she said.

She added that purchasing the medication made it very difficult for her. Her husband’s disability cheques are not enough to cover the cost of the medications.

Singh also complained that there were not enough doctors at the hospital to attend to the patients, with constant cancellations occurring on clinic days.

She fears if her husband, who suffers from congestive heart failure, has to go to the hospital again that he may not make it out again.

“I don’t know what is happening with the health system. Where is the Minister of Health?” she asked.

When contacted, the Ministry of Health’s Corporate Communications Department said that they were investigating the matter.

The department said they had to verify the facts with the National Insurance Property Development Company- which runs a pharmaceutical division.