MoH wants 24-hour health centres, will import foreigners if necessary

Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan wants to have health centres in Trinidad & Tobago working around the clock. However he said Tuesday the principal hurdle is finding the personnel to staff the institutions.

"I'm trying to open the centres 24 hours but people—the staff—have to buy into it...I have to look at paying doctors, nurses and ancillary staff properly for full-time service in public hospitals," the minister said.

He was speaking at the second meeting of the Caribbean Public Health Agency at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain.

"What I'm doing is trying my best to increase time by accessing external doctors and paying them for part-time services," he said. The minister added that the response from the private sector so far has been good. He said some private specialists have returned to the Port of Spain General Hospital.

Khan is not giving up the search for professionals. and he plans to look outside if local doctors are not available.

"I am going to the Philippines and get some doctors and nurses and specialists; 100-plus specialists will be coming in from Cuba soon and I am just going to send them to work in the after-hour period," he said.

He said part of his plan is to remove the geographical boundaries for Regional Health Authorities (RHAs), which would allow private doctors and specialists from all over to come in and assist in training new doctors.