Health Minister Dr Lackram Bodoe says the Government’s TT$7.4 billion allocation to healthcare will focus on improving public health facilities, addressing medicine shortages and strengthening the fight against Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
Minister Bodoe opened Day 3 of the Standing Finance Committee, defending the TT$7.4 billion allocation to healthcare and promising value for money.
“Mr Chairman, the Ministry will continue its efforts to fully operationalise all public health care institutions in Financial ’27. In addition to dealing with these plans, we will also focus on people and processes.”
He assured the public that drug shortages are being rectified, alongside efforts to prioritise the prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases, noting that 62% of annual deaths in Trinidad and Tobago are directly attributable to NCDs.
“Whilst I acknowledge in the public space discourse and the occasional drug shortage here and there for diabetes and some cancers, I want to give the population the assurance that the supply chain and procurement issues surrounding this matter are being dealt with. CDAP remains an important programme for citizens, and we will continue to strengthen it. However, debate on prevention of NCDs, cancer screening, and mental health needs to be ramped up.”
The Minister also defended the commissioning of the Sangre Grande Hospital Campus and the Port of Spain Central Block, assuring the public that both projects will be completed in this fiscal year.
Dr Bodoe pointed to several setbacks that caused delays to the Central Block project.
“The connection between the current Accident and Emergency Department to this building was insufficient, and therefore a proper linked walkway had to be constructed, so this was never developed, and it is causing a significant challenge to the transfer of patients who need to be warded in that new building, but we are working on that, and we want to give the population the assurance that we will fix that and we will have the new Central Block open.”