A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) which was part of the Couva Children’s Hospital was noted in the report of a Parliamentary team which visited the hospital in 2016.
And the Health Ministry’s permanent secretary, Chief Medical officer—and Health Minister—have been warned about the danger of a certain criminal offence following the ministry’s “fake news” dismissal of a video about the hospital’s NICU.
Opposition Parliamentarians Dr Lackram Bodoe, Roodal Moonilal and Senator Jearlean John spoke about the issues at yesterday’s United National Congress media briefing in Chaguanas.
This following claims by Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh and his ministry that the video circulating about the hospital having a NICU was “fake news.”
John was head of Udecott, which supervised the hospital project and did the video. She slammed Deyalsingh for a “lie” about the video. She said he was seeking to distract from the rising number of babies dying at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital’s NICU.
John said, “We’re very mindful we must guard against this extremely tragic event becoming a circus or worse, presenting Minister Deyalsingh with the excuse or distraction he’s desperately seeking.
“You’d have thought as a country we’d have been united in our grief as babies are dying ... 16 or 18 as newspaper report. But there was the minister on television stating that a video representing the ‘as built and outfitted’ Couva Children’s was ‘aspirational’—inferring it’s not real. But that’s a lie—plain and simple!”
John and Bodoe (who was part of the past Government’s team on the hospital development) said the hospital’s children’s wing had an NICU and the video is a true representation of the hospital.
The Opposition showed the video where host bio-medical engineer Emily Carter introduced the facilities. In the video, she stated this included paediatric/labour wards and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Bodoe said he had been vice chairman of Parliament’s Public Administration and Appropriations Committee—which includes Government members—which visited the hospital in 2016. He said the committee’s report noted the hospital’s Obstetrics/Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (13 rooms, 25 beds, plus NICU of four beds).
The NICU was seen (shaded in green) on the report’s Page 3 diagram of the Pediatric Bed Tower. The report was laid in Parliament.
Bodoe said Deyalsingh’s reference to a “Special Baby Care Unit” was “playing with words since the facility (NICU) was there. He said the floor plan showed the Obstetrics unit with four NICU beds with the paediatric ICU.
John said all the information/equipment seen in the video was at that time in place. She called for a probe of the whereabouts of the millions of dollars of equipment the hospital had and discrepancies surrounding the NICU.
Bodoe, saying the NICU was provided for and the equipment shown, added, “Whether it’s still there, I’m not in a position to say. I’ve been told by colleagues some equipment was moved to other facilities. It’s for the minister to explain what’s happened to that equipment.”
John added, “We need (Deyalsingh) to open the damn hospital. Immediately! You can’t be going to the media trying to save your job while mothers are going home with an empty baby blanket and you have no damn shame! You should have some shame and conscience! Eighteen dead babies under your watch!”
Moonilal warns PS, CMO about ministry post
Moonilal warned the ministry’s PS, CMO and Deyalsingh that misbehaviour in public office—failure to do duty or wilful misconduct to the extent of abusing public trust in the office holder—was a criminal offence.
He said if a PS and CMO had anything to do with the ministry’s post, they can well be guilty of this offence, as their office would allow them to have information that the hospital was built with the NICU.
“If they’re part of that ministry posting, they may well be treading on criminal offences. Don’t tie up yourself with Deyalsingh and become a puppet. He’s on his way out... you may find yourself in hot water—unsterilised,” he added.
John and Moonilal urged reporters who had toured the hospital before—Kejan Haynes, Radica de Silva and others—to show footage of it, challenge Deyalsingh and seek an immediate tour to see how it is now.
“Why are members of the press pretending they don’t know and don’t want to call out the minister! This Minister of Death’s term is approaching end,” Moonilal said.
John added, “He’s lost credibility ... an unrepentant, desperate man trying to hold on to his job. But he needs to leave today.”