Poor health care puts T&T at risk: UNC

Former Health Minister Dr Hamza Rafeeq is deeply concerned about reports of Swine Flu deaths and the increasing incident of Dengue fever in Trinidad and Tobago.

In a media release, the MP for Caroni East said his party - the United National Congress (UNC) - is disappointed that despite the much publicized focus of the Minister of Health for the past three years on eliminating the threat of Dengue citizens are still at great risk.

Rafeeq accused the minister of "cheap bravado" in telling the nation not to panic and "giving people the false assurance that the ministry's swine full surveillance system is working."

He cited reports that one woman whose death was is being treated as H1N1 could not get a bed on the medical wards and remained screened off in the Accident and Emergency Department.

"Our Nation cannot rest comfortably knowing that the nation’s health care system is under resourced, with an acute shortage of beds, medical supplies and an already overworked medical and nursing staff," Rafeeq said.

He blamed the government for "panic in our nation’s schools" as a result of reports of possible H1N1 cases and the absence of established protocols to ensure isolation and containment.

"Where are the emergency response teams? Where are the counselors to advise persons who may have been exposed?" he asked.

He also pointed out that the promise of 260,000 vaccines by the health minister means that only one in five persons would have protection and the others would remain exposed to the virus.

"How is this to be administered? Who determines gets and who do not get the vaccine?" he asked.

The MP said it is clear that the current system is not equipped to deal with an outbreak of the deadly flu, adding that the minister and health officials need to be realistic and truthful in their assessment of the situation.

Rafeeq said it is necessary for the authorities to steps taken to deal with "the obvious and multiple shortcomings in the health system."

And he urged the minister to inform the population "in clear and unambiguous terms" about how they should deal with the matter when a person is suspected of having the disease.

He said it is also important for the minister to tell citizens which institutions are equipped to deal with patients suffering from the disease.

"The UNC believes that the minister...needs to stop playing public relations games with the lives of our citizens, and until this is done, the nation remains at risk as a result of poor health care and an apathetic minister," he said.