Elizabeth Gonzales
Tobago Correspondent
Tobagonians are being urged to remain calm as the Scarborough General Hospital continues to operate in emergency mode due to a surge in admissions that has left its medical and surgical wards full.
The Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA) declared the hospital’s emergency status on Tuesday night. The measures will remain in place for at least 48 hours.
“Don’t panic,” Secretary of Health Dr Faith Brebnor told Guardian Media in an interview. “We have an upsurge in the number of people coming in, but they seem to be sicker, which means they need to be hospitalised.”
She explained that patients are staying longer than usual, leaving fewer beds available for new admissions. According to the TRHA, 13 patients were waiting to be admitted through the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department.
“To ease the pressure, we’ve agreed to stop non-essential services,” Brebnor said. “So if you were scheduled for an elective surgery, we’re asking you to wait a week or two because we simply don’t have the space right now.”
Although she insisted there was no need for panic, Brebnor acknowledged the strain on the health system.
“We have high rates of admissions and people in A&E who can’t be admitted right away. That’s stressful—for staff and for patients.”
While Tobago has experienced periods of high admissions in the past, this is the first time emergency mode has been declared publicly. Brebnor said transparency is key.
“Given the size of Tobago, it’s better for us to let people know what’s happening so the public can make informed decisions.”
As part of the emergency measures, the TRHA has suspended all elective surgeries until further notice and is urging people with minor ailments to avoid A&E if possible.
“Instead of flocking to Signal Hill, see if you can get help at another health facility—and only go to Signal Hill if it’s absolutely critical,” Brebnor advised.
She also noted that Tobago’s limited hospital capacity highlights the need to expand health infrastructure.
“We actually came from a hospital that was larger in terms of bed size. Now that the facility is smaller, I’ve tasked the TRHA with exploring how we can improve this. Do we need to expand the hospital? What exactly should we do?”
Brebnor added that the Division of Health is working to strengthen primary healthcare services to prevent illnesses and reduce future hospital admissions.
“We’re trying to redesign how we provide primary healthcare services and improve health centres so we can reach more people and keep them out of hospital.”
Meanwhile, President of the T&T Registered Nurses Association, Idi Stewart, voiced his support for the TRHA’s decision, saying Tobago has taken a step that other Regional Health Authorities (RHAs) often avoid.
“The concept of hospitals overflowing—that’s normal, unfortunately, in Trinidad and Tobago. It happens every day,” he said.
He praised Brebnor for acting decisively. “We commend the Secretary of Health for issuing such a notice. It’s proactive and signals that she’s seen the problem and is trying to address it comprehensively.”
However, Stewart highlighted persistent challenges faced by nursing staff.
“Nursing and midwifery personnel are not paid for overtime work,” he said. “It’s ironic that with this increasing demand, the authorities don’t see it fit to at least make nursing and midwifery staff permanently employed.”
In a statement yesterday, the Ministry of Health confirmed that there have been no similar surges at health facilities in Trinidad’s central district.
“Tobago’s total bed capacity stands at 130, and as such, fluctuations in occupancy can occur,” the ministry noted.
The ministry said it remains in close contact with all RHAs and will continue to monitor the situation in Tobago.
