Major advancements aimed at boosting efficiency and improving services for the public have been implemented by the South-West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA), which serves approximately 600,000 people across more than one-third of Trinidad’s landmass.
During Tuesday’s Public Board Meeting, SWRHA Chairman Anil Gosine acknowledged the challenges clients face with lengthy delays and announced plans to implement strategies to cut wait times by 50%.
“It should be noted that the waiting times for surgical procedures are already been declining due to surgical procedures being done at our Couva Children’s Hospital, and that is quite a milestone.”
Mr. Gosine highlighted a pilot project launched on November 3rd, which is expected to be fully implemented by early January 2026.
“The SWRHA has introduced a 24-hour operational customer care, which treats with complaints, commendations, and suggestions on a real-time basis. The centre attends to and receive WhatsApp messages at 683-8255, 682-TALK, via a toll-free calling 87-SWRHA.”
According to the SWRHA’s Acting Chief Executive Officer Dr. Robin Sinanan, although admissions were lower this fiscal year, this does not reflect a decline in the number of citizens receiving quality healthcare services.
“With the Point Fortin Hospital showing a decrease in admissions of over 7% year on year, this is due to innovative strategies to manage more patients at home rather than on wards, which would have contributed to that reduction.”
Dr. Sinanan noted that Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) account for nearly half of all primary care visits across health centres. However, with the implementation of the HEARTS initiative, the Authority has already positively impacted approximately 17,000 patients.
“This has actually resulted in our patients achieving 71% blood pressure control over the last fiscal year, that is, 71% of our persons have recorded proper blood pressure control through these interventions.”
The Authority also announced plans to place an even greater emphasis on mental health services in 2026, building on its current support for approximately 60,000 visits this fiscal year.