The opening date for the Couva Multi-Training Facility has been moved up from September 2019 as previously stated by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to July 2019.
The announcement came from Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh at a press conference at the ministry’s head office, Park Street, Port-of-Spain.
The facility would be rolled out in four parts.
“Component one would be operationalized by July 2019,” the minister promised.
“Component one would be diagnostic imaging services… It (the component) would be via referrals from the RHA’s (regional health authorities),” he said.
The North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) would oversee the first component, which is expected to be implemented in July. This component would entail a diagnostic division and pharmacy services. They would also be partnering with the University of the West Indies to aid in providing services such as teaching.
“NCRHA since 1989 has had an intimate, rich relationship with the University of the West Indies via its facilities at Mt Hope…South West, geographically you would expect the facility to fall under does not have that deep, intimate, long-standing relationship,” Deyalsingh explained.
The hospital was opened by the former People’s Partnership (PP) administration just shy of the 2015 general election and was intended to be a Children’s Hospital.
But the facility was never commissioned. In the years to come, the now PP opposition have criticized the government for putting the lives of the nation’s children on the back burner. However, yesterday Deyalsingh said this was not so. He said, instead, Government would be rededicating the Wendy Fitzwilliam Paediatric Hospital which was never utilized to its full potential.
“The children have not been left out in this equation. As a matter of fact, once we revision Wendy Fitzwilliams the children would get a far superior level of care,” he said
“The policy decision that we would take is that we would do an audit of what exists at Wendy Fitzwilliams in terms of equipment and in terms of practice.”
He also revealed that construction of the Arima and Point Fortin hospitals is carded to be complete by July and should be commissioned by year’s end.
Hospitals Listicle
Couva Medical Multi-Training Facility:
Opened in 2015 by then People’s Partnership government as a children’s hospital but never commissioned.
Built at a cost of TT$1.6 billion
First phase expected to commence in July 2019
Expected to be fully commissioned within the next three years.
Central Block of Port-of-Spain General hospital:
Deemed seismically unsafe in 2009.
Tenders sent out before 6.9 Earthquake in 2018.
The earthquake forced to the block to be evacuated and rebuilt.
Government signed a $1.1 billion contract for its reconstruction on Monday.
Point Fortin Hospital:
Under construction since 2014.
Initially budgeted to cost $1.5 billion but was brought down to $1.2 billion.
Construction expected to be completed by July 2019 and commissioned by December 2019.
Arima Hospital:
Initially budgeted to cost $1.8 billion but reduced to $1.6 billion.
Construction expected to be completed by July 2019 and commissioned by December 2019.
Couva Hospital Box
The component one services to be provided at the Couva Medical and Multi-Training Facility
-Diagnostic Imaging Services
-Computed Tomography (CT)
-Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
-Radiology
-Mammogram
-Fluoroscopic Investigations
-Ultrasound
-CDAP Pharmacy Services
