By Sue-Ann Wayow
AS the population continues to battle with the effects of Covid-19, a third long covid clinic is to be established at the Port of Spain General Hospital.
This was stated by Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh on Friday during Parliament.
Deyalsingh was asked by Member for Parliament for Caroni East Dr Rishad Seecharan about the measures in place for long covid patients.
The minister said that in October 2020, an executive wellness clinic was established at the Arima General Hospital where over 215 new patients were seen with long Covid and there were 361 revisits.
In August 2021, a long Covid-19 clinic was established at the San Fernando Teaching Hospital where over 121 new patients were seen and there were 99 revisits. At the Sangre Grande Hospital, long Covid patients were seen by the internal medicine team, Deyalsingh said.
At the Port of Spain General Hospital, long Covid patients are also seen by the hospital’s internal medicine team and the long Covid clinic which is expected to be established next month.
Deyalsingh said, “The referral process into the clinics is done through the regional health authorities where patients are referred to by doctors and services are accessed immediately upon professing of the referral.”
He added that there was “continuous physician training and sensitisation on the signs, symptoms and treatment of Long Covid and continuous population-level sensitisation so patients can recognise and seek treatment for symptoms of Long Covid.”
It is recommended that patients be referred to by a physician.
Deyalsingh also further said that mental health constituted part of the treatment for Long Covid as Covid-19 affects every part of the body including the brain.
