By Chantalé Fletcher
THE Covid-19 experience has cost Trinidad and Tobago $509.7 million.
This was stated by Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh in the House of Representatives on Friday.
He was contributing to the budget debate in response to the Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s criticism of the Government’s spending in the fight against Covid-19.
Deyalsingh gave a summary break down of the allocations to the Health Ministry.
“Consumable’s cost, $151.1 million with equipment at $42.1 million, Human Resource hiring over 1,000 persons, the majority which included doctors and nurses at $277.3 million and infrastructure at $36.2 million.”
He said, “The response of the healthcare system has been resilient as it can absorb shock, rebound and keep its shape; whereas agile with quickly responding quickly to the changes of epidemiological patterns that can become manifestations of the pandemic.”
He criticised Persad-Bissessar for the continuous degradation of such Dr Parasram, Dr Maryam Abdool -Richards, Dr Michelle Trotman and Dr Avery Hinds, whom he described as home-grown expertise, loyal civil servants.”
The minister said he hoped this degradation would stop.
He added that to accuse the medical professionals of hiding data was regrettable.
Deyalsingh thanked all health care professionals for their continuous dedication.
Deyalsingh said in comparison to other countries with better resources, T&T’s health system had done relatively well against the Covid-19 pandemic.
The minister responded to the Persad-Bissessar’s claims that the People’s National Movement (PNM) government was waging war on citizens.
He said, “We are not waging a war on people. We are waging a war on the virus. We ask that all members of Parliament and the whole country join us in the war against the virus.”
In terms of the parallel healthcare system, Deyalsingh said, “In the second wave in Julyto November 2020, we started to see the clinical picture of patients change and our resiliency and agility, as there was still a high demand for ward level care.
“Therefore, we expanded the care facility to the Arima General Hospital, and then Augustus Long Hospital which was outfitted by Heritage Petroleum.”
However, as the pandemic changed, the government also provided mental and psychosocial support to ill persons, he said.
Deyalsingh said, “We started to accelerate this with access to tele-mental health and virtual services to both public and health care workers. We also improved coordination amongst mental health service providers, stepped public education and coping mechanisms which led to the launch of FindCareTT, an online directory linking public and private sector mental health responses.”
The minister said the only way out of this pandemic was through vaccination.
He announced ten new cases of the Delta variant, which seven of the individuals were unvaccinated.
Deyalsingh said, “The promise of vaccination was that if you get Covid-19, you may stand a 98% chance of not dying from Covid-19 or going to a hospital.”
The minister hoped that in 2022, this year’s figure would be substantially lower if more persons get vaccinated.
He said, “More importantly, the average daily death rate comes down which was the true marker to know if we successful.”
