HEALTH Minister Terrance Deyalsingh has met with the Trinidad and Tobago Registered Nurses Association (TTRNA) to discuss recent incidents of Covid-19 cases at the Port of Spain General Hospital (POSGH).
In a press release on Thursday, the ministry stated that Deyalsingh and other ministry officials including chief medical officer Dr Roshan Parasram met with TTRNA’s president Idi Stuart and TTRNA’s second vice-president Letitia Cox.
Discussions surrounded four main areas aimed at reducing the risk of the transmission of Covid-19 at the facility which included the utilisation of Covid-19 rapid antigen tests to test patients before admission and increase Covid-19 staff testing, especially in instances where they have been potentially exposed to Covid-19, the reduction of the patient population to allow for increased social distancing and increased nursing staff to patient ratio.
The ministry stated that there was general agreement to solutions provided for all four areas of concern.
Dr Parasram highlighted that healthcare workers were naturally at a higher risk of contracting Covid-19 than the general population and therefore have been placed at the top of the list for the receipt of vaccines once they become available.
Deyalsingh added that there will be continued collaboration with the TTRNA and the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) to address the concerns in the shortest timeframe possible.
Chief Executive Officer of NWRHA Salisha Baksh said that certain recommendations arising from recent meetings with the TTRNA, such as the increased frequency of the sanitisation of wards, had already been implemented.
Stuart posted on his Facebook page that the TTRNA thanked the health minister for the urgent attention he placed in addressing the issues raised and further details of the agreement will be discussed on Friday
He posted, “A number of the plans have the potential to positively affect nursing personnel from other regions. The TTRNA once again thanks the ministry of health and the NWRHA in treating with all of the high priority concerns of the Association.”
