Foreign doctors, nurses coming to T&T to ease shortage

Dozens of foreign doctors and nurses will begin arriving in Trinidad as early as next week to work at various health facilities in the country to deal with a shortage of health care professionals.

Parliamentary Secretary in the Health Ministry Wesley George broke the news Friday when he addressed the graduation ceremony of the Operating Theatre Nursing Training Programme held at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) in Mt Hope.

George said 119 foreign doctors and 450 foreign nurses will begin arriving next week. He said the first group of doctors will be coming from Cuba and would be assigned to the various hospitals in their various specialties.

He said the move was necessary because the Health Sector does not have sufficient local doctors. George hopes that situation would change over the next five years as a result of training initiatives being put in place by the Manning government.