Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan has a plan to resolve the shortage of medical specialists by hiring retired doctors from the UK to work and train young local doctors.Khan said he had already spoken to Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma on the matter."This framework agreement will assist that in a very, very large way," he said.That, he said, would assist in addressing the current shortage of expertise.Khan spoke at the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two countries which will allowfor the promotion of trade and investment in the healthcare sector.
British High Commissioner Arthur Snell and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Dookeran were also present at the signing at the International Waterfront Complex, Port-of-Spain. Khan said under the agreement specialist training for different fields, such as neuro-surgical training, paediatric cardiac surgery, haematology and forensic pathology, without which, he added, there would not be a proper judicial system, would be available.Khan said: "This partnership allows the Ministry of Health to fulfil its objectives of modernising and expanding in the existing competencies of our healthcare facilities.He said the UK's National Health Service was one of the leaders in the world in areas such as research, development and innovation.One of the first events to occur after the MOU's signing will be a UK/Caribbean health trade mission on November 5 and 6.
He said there were also plans to collaborate with the UK in the primary health care system by the establishment of electronic patient records, alternative access to secondary health facilities that would reduce the strain on the emergency rooms, enhanced neo-natal intensive care units and installing and managing palliative care services in hospitals.The arrangement, he said, would also seek to address chronic non-communicable diseases. Snell said the signing came after a long period of collaborative work between the High Commission, the Ministries of Health and Foreign Affairs and other entities.Dookeran said the agreement must be seen in the context of what was happening in global markets worldwide.