Caroni East MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh had described the Government’s decision to use the Couva Hospital as a pharmacy as a vindictive and politically vicious decision.
On Tuesday, the Government announced that the North Central Regional Health Authority would run CDAP distribution operations at the facility and members of the public can collect their medication there between the hours for 8 am to 4 pm from Monday to Friday.
However, Gopeesingh said the Government’s refusal to open the modern, state- of- the- art and technologically-equipped Couva Hospital has brought the Keith Rowley lead administration, nation-wide, Caribbean and International shame.
In a statement yesterday, the Caroni East MP said there are over 250 pharmacies and their pharmacists nationwide dispensing CDAP pharmaceuticals and helping patients. Alluding to no need for the Couva Hospital to be used as a pharmacy.
He said the positioning of the CDAP drug dispensation at Couva Hospital by Minister of Health Terrance Deyalsingh was an insult to the intelligence of the citizens of T&T who require healthcare.
The former government minister said thousands of patients are in serious need of proper hospitalisation and urgent surgical procedures and they suffer because the Couva Hospital remained closed.
He said the PNM under Rowley came into Government confused and ignorant of the requirements of the Health Sector.
He claimed the Minister of Health was not truthful when he said they do not have enough doctors and nurses to run the Couva Hospital.
He said the current Government prefers to put citizens’ health at risk instead of utilising the hospital that has 80 paediatric and 100 adult beds and technologically advanced equipment and operating theatres.
Gopeesingh said using the Couva Hospital as a pharmacy is a serious crisis and is unacceptable.
On Tuesday, former health minister Dr Fuad Khan described the opening of a CDAP pharmacy at the Couva Medical and Multi-Training Facility as a “colossal waste.”
In august 2018 , Deyalsingh announced that the Couva Hospital would be a paying hospital.