Senior Reporter
jensen.lavende@guardian.co.tt
The psychiatric ward at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) has been relocated to the Arima Hospital as health authorities move to increase bed capacity at the facility.
Speaking with Guardian Media from his office yesterday, Chairman of the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA), Dr Tim Gopeesingh, said the relocation would free up space for other critical services, including accident and emergency (A&E) operations.
“We have now transferred the psychiatry with 25 beds to the Arima Hospital, which was designated for psychiatry and which remained untouched for five years under the last administration. Also, the accident and emergency was never used over the last five years and pretty shortly we’ll be moving the accident and emergency from the present area now to the main hospital. So, we are freeing up 25 beds,” he said.
Gopeesingh added that the changes would ultimately increase capacity at the A&E department by as many as 50 beds.
“We have 70 people needing admission on a daily basis from the 250 accident and emergency cases, and sometimes we could take 30 or 40 within a 24-hour period. So, we are improving on that. The waiting time in accident and emergency for patients is being reduced,” he said.
However, the move has drawn concern from the Trinidad and Tobago National Nursing Association (TTNNA), whose president, Idi Stuart, said it was implemented without consultation with frontline healthcare workers.
In a report submitted to the TTNNA, Stuart described the relocation as effectively a reduction in bed space rather than an expansion of services.
According to the report, the Inpatient Psychiatric Unit (IPU) nursing team has been assigned additional responsibility for four outpatient psychiatric clinics—EWMSC, Tacarigua, Arima and Chaguanas.
It stated that as of the end of May 2026, the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) is expected to recall all Mental Health Officers (MHOs) currently supporting these clinics.
The report noted that 15 nurses and four enrolled nursing assistants are assigned to the ward, with no additional staffing provided following the relocation. It added that the IPU nursing team is now required to cover four clinics in addition to ward duties, with each clinic—except EWMSC—managing 100 or more patients on clinic days. It further outlined that one nurse is assigned to Tacarigua, Arima and Chaguanas on non-clinic days, while the EWMSC clinic has no dedicated psychiatric nursing coverage. On clinic days, one additional nurse may be assigned to assist, but no attendants, MHOs or clerical support are provided from the IPU team.
From the end of May 2026, the report warned, all MHOs will be recalled by the NWRHA, leaving a single nurse to manage each clinic independently on non-clinic days.
A senior health official, speaking on condition of anonymity, warned the changes could negatively impact care for patients.
“The problem with that is because they are psychiatric patients, they all have to go on a ground floor ward. There are only two ground floor wards, and those wards are usually full. So what happens is patients end up staying in the emergency department for days because nursing staff is short. They don’t usually get their meds on time, if they get them at all. There isn’t proper supervision, so they either end up leaving,” the source said.
The official also described disruptions caused by psychiatric patients at emergency departments as “quite chaotic,” adding that patients often do not receive the level of care required.
“They don’t get the proper treatment that they need, and they’re not really going anywhere. So they say they transfer the ward and people can go there, but nobody’s actually leaving the emergency department,” the source said.
The source further noted that the transfer appeared incomplete, with some staff remaining at EWMSC following the relocation of the psychiatric ward, resulting in mental health professionals being seen moving between facilities.
