Chairman of the North Central Regional Health Authority, Dr Tim Gopeesingh, says the NCRHA Board is moving to address what it considers years of mismanagement, despite billions of dollars being invested in the Regional Health Authority under the previous administration.
He said since assuming the role of Chairman in 2025, the NCRHA Board has been focused not only on upgrading infrastructure but also on addressing what it considers the mismanagement of billions spent on the Authority under the previous administration.
“Thirteen billion spent by the past administration and when you look around, you can’t see any evidence of that expenditure. Ten companies benefitted over $250 million each over that ten-year period; 10 companies’ suppliers; and one janitorial company benefitted $124 million over a two-year period.”
Speaking at the launch of TT WIFI at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex on Wednesday, Dr Gopeesingh said the Authority is also moving to implement a Laboratory Information System (LIS), which will allow doctors and nurses to access completed laboratory results in real time. It will complement measures currently in place to prevent delays.
“There’s already a system where the radiology reports are generated and shared by the doctors as soon as the reporting is done, so there is no delay in the time frame for doing the investigations.”
He said patient records are also being digitised as part of the Authority’s broader modernisation drive.
However, Dr Gopeesingh called on the Minister of Health, Dr Lackram Bodoe, to review the NCRHA’s telecommunications contracts, citing what he described as poor service despite significant expenditure.
“We have six of them; two are benefitting about three to four million each, including Columbus Communications and TSTT, and the support they give us is abominable, because they don’t care to come back to look at our infrastructure.”
According to Dr Gopeesingh, 29 of the 52 initiatives identified by the Board for improving the healthcare system have already been completed, while work continues on the remaining proposals.