Caption: A screenshot of the 2016 report of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee showing units including a Obstetrics, Nursery, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit with a NICU
By Prior Beharry
MINISTER of Health Terrence Deyalsingh is wrong about deeming a video circulating in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Couva Children’s Hospital as fake.
This was the claim by opposition members – Oropouche MP Dr Roodal Moonilal, Fyzabad MP Lackram Bodoe and Senator Jerlean John- at a press conference on Wednesday.
On the Ministry of Health Facebook page had the word “Fake” over a screenshot of the video with medical engineer Emily Carter. The video widely circulating on social media has Carter saying that she was in a NICU at the Couva Children’s Hospital where “we will offer care for the nation’s most vulnerable.”
Dr Moonilal said this posting of the photo with the word “fake” could be tantamount to misbehaviour in public office of the ministry’s permanent secretary and chief medical officer if they agreed to it.
But Deyalsingh who quoted a Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) report at a press conference on Monday said there was no facilities for a NICU at the Couva hospital – the People’s National Movement (PNM) government renamed the Couva Hospital and Multi-Training Facility.
He maintained that there was no NICU but a four-bed special children’s unit to take of less severe cases and not for neonatal babies less than 28 weeks old.
At the press conference on Wednesday, John said the video that was circulating was not generated by artificial intelligence (AI) nor with it computer generated.
John was the chairman of UDeCOTT when the hospital was commissioned under the Kamla Persad-Bissessar government on August 14, 2015.
The issue stems after 18 babies are said to have died over a relatively short period of time at the NICU at the Port of Spain General Hospital (POSGH).
A three-member team from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) have started a probe.
Bodoe, who was chairman of the South West Regional Health Authority in 2015, said floor plans of the hospital showed a paediatric unit that could have been turned into a NICU. He said the NICU was provided for and the equipment was shown.
At the press conference, the UNC members shared a report of a site visit of the hospital on June 29, 2016, of the Public Administration and Appropriations Committee.
The report lists a number of departments including an Obstetrics, Nursery, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit with 13 rooms, 25 beds and a NICU with four beds allocated to it.
The tour was conducted by medical engineer Emily Carter and the committee included Bodoe, House Speaker Bridgid Annisette-George and UNC Senator Wade Mark.
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The PNM Government and the UNC Opposition are Bo h using the demise of these babies deaths to score Cheap Political Points for the next upcoming General Election. Millions of taxpayers dollars are spent at the Couva Children Hospital during the UNC term in office 2010-2015. The present PNM Government has changed their he name of the institution to the Couva Hospital and Multi-Training Facility. Every institution and place has become the norm by name change and not by delivery of services