Caption: A screengrab of Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar holding up a teddy bear dressed as a doctor which she said was handed out to all the children at the opening ceremony of the Couva Children’s Hospital in 2015
OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar demands the immediate opening of the fully-equipped Couva Children’s Hospital to address what she describes as a “health crisis” gripping the nation.
Speaking at a news conference held at her Port of Spain office, Persad-Bissessar slammed the Dr Keith Rowley government for what she termed “malice and spite” in refusing to open the hospital, which she sees as one of her administration’s achievements.
The Opposition Leader asserted that had the hospital been operational, countless lives could have been saved the lives of 11 newborn babies at the Port of Spain General Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Accompanied by Opposition Senator Jearlean John, who played a significant role in the hospital’s delivery, as well as Opposition MP Dr Lackram Bodoe and former government minister Dr Tim Gopeesingh, Persad-Bissessar held up a symbolic teddy bear dressed as a doctor which she said was handed out to all the children at the opening ceremony of the hospital in 2015.
She said, “Today as I hold this teddy, I think about the fact that just a decade ago, that hospital represented—and this teddy represented—the hope and future of our children. Now today under this Rowley regime of terror, the Government from hell, teddy bears are now transformed, sadly to say, to corpses of newborn babies.”
Persad-Bissessar showed a video highlighting the hospital’s state-of-the-art facilities, emphasising its capacity to provide world-class healthcare and generate employment.
She criticised the government for creating false excuses to delay the hospital’s opening, including claims of insufficient doctors.
Highlighting the hospital’s advanced amenities, Persad-Bissessar stressed the importance of adequate medical equipment and trained clinicians in preventing avoidable deaths.
She raised concerns about the government’s handling of the healthcare system, citing chronic shortages of medication, staff, and equipment despite significant financial allocations.
Furthermore, Persad-Bissessar called for transparency regarding protocols and supplies in the Port of Spain NICU.
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