UN doctors will cost taxpayers US$12M

The project to bring 100 United Nations Volunteer (UNV) doctors to TT starting this year and ending May 31, 2006 is costing Government US$12,313,236 —TT$73,879,416.

Personnel costs for the UN doctors and other health professionals are US$11,151,60 — TT$66,909,-600. The doctors are expected to arrive before month’s end and will go through three one-week orientation sessions costing US$2,936 —TT$17,616. UN doctors along with Cuban doctors have been recruited by the Health Ministry to address the shortage in the Health sector. The UN volunteers are to be contracted for periods of up to three years. Under the agreement signed between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the executing agency for the project — the Ministry of Health, the UN doctors will receive a “modest monthly living allowance, called a Volunteer Living  Allowance (VLA) to cover living expenses. They do not receive a wage.” The VLA is established through cost of living surveys, sampling of salary rates of the Government, non-Governmental organisations and the private sector. The VLA is a set rate for all UNV posts so an engineer, teacher or doctor would earn the same stipend.

The UNVs’ condition of service includes health and life insurance, vacation entitlements, travel to and from their country of origin, support for spouse and beneficiaries as well as other benefits. One of the key objectives of the agreement “is to provide UNV medical professionals to the Government of the Republic of TT while the country devises and implements a plan to train and retain such professionals on a long-term basis.” Other areas of assistance are capacity building to ensure sustainability through a mentorship programme after the programme ends and projects to strengthen areas where treatment is currently unavailable and to address management of health care centres through the placement of healthcare managers. The mentorship programme will see UNV doctors recruited to work at health centres and hospitals where they will “coach junior doctors.” In the short term, a partnership will be established with the University of the West Indies which would allow the doctors with relevant skills to function as visiting lecturers to UWI’s School of Medicine. The presence of the UNV doctors is expected to be a “respite” while the programme for accelerated training of healthcare professionals takes effect.

As part of the programme, scholarships will be granted to people already in medical schools and new students wishing to pursue careers in areas where there is a shortage of specialised skills. “These professionals, upon graduation, will be initial candidates for the mentorship programme using the UNVs.” Within six months of the doctors’ placement at health facilities and as a condition of ensuring the shortage in the health sector is systematically addressed, UNDP will work with Government to devise an “Interactive Exit Strategy” for phasing out UNVs after three years. A Project-Steering Committee will be established to monitor the strategy. The UNDP TT office along with the Health Ministry will be responsible for the financial management of the project, with UNDP providing six monthly financial reports to the Ministry. It will also host six monthly meetings of the Steering Committee and Ministry to discuss the UNVs’ performance and assess progress in the Exit Strategy. UNDP is levying a ten percent administrative fee (US$1,119,385) for its services which include facilitating the recruitment of an administrative assistant to compliment the services of UNDP’s Client Services Unit for the management of the project.