She was speaking at the sod turning for the laboratory, which will be located on the compound of the Couva District Health Facility.
Persad-Bissessar said health care is a basic right of citizens and reiterated her Government’s commitment to deliver on the promise of a better service.
PCS Nitrogen is sponsoring the construction of the laboratory, which is estimated to cost US$ 4 million. The project includes construction and provision of all ancillary facilities, including an on-site parking area, water and medical waste facilities necessary for the operation of a fully functioning medical laboratory.
“I am truly heartened by PCS Nitrogen’s display of good corporate citizenship through this initiative, and I am sure that you would agree with me that any investment that is intended to bring health and hope to a people is an investment worth making,” Persad-Bissessar said.
She said the project will take about 18 months to complete. The consulting architectural firm, HDR, has a reputation as the number one health care design firm in the United States, she said, adding that the firm would be responsible for the the architecture, interiors, structural, mechanical and electrical design, using environmentally sound practices.
“HDR will enter into a joint venture with local architectural and MEP providers which will then be responsible for the bidding out of the project to local contractors, and to administer the construction contract on behalf of PCS Nitrogen (Trinidad) Ltd,” she said.
One the construction and equipping of the 2,000 square feet facility is completed it will be handed over to to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. Its services will include:
- Complete blood Count
- Blood glucose
- Renal Function and
- Liver function tests
She said the laboratory will also allow for an expansion of the range of laboratory investigations possible into new areas like immunology and virology.
“The state of the art lab will be equipped with a laboratory information system (LIS) which will enable the movement of patient laboratory data between the lab and any surrounding hospital or clinic including the Emergency Department at the Couva District Health Facility,” Persad-Bissessar said.
“The global burden of illness from Chronic Non-communicable diseases has been increasing steadily over the past 30 years.
“Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, cerebrovascular disease, and other NCDs, which were once thought of as diseases of ‘modernity’ and developed societies, are no longer the diseases of the wealthy.
“These diseases are now major challenges to the development of people and to the economies of the poorest nations, even more so than infectious diseases,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar added, “In Trinidad and Tobago, there has been an epidemiological transition from the 1950’s to present.
“In 1953, the proportion of deaths from Diabetes was 1.5%. Cerebrovascular disease accounted for 6% and Ischemic Heart Disease accounted for 8% of deaths.
“Some fifty plus years on, the proportion of deaths from Diabetes has risen to 13.6%, and heart disease to 25%. This represents increases by hundreds of percentage points over the 1953 levels.
“The importance of this shift is well worth noting since in Trinidad and Tobago these chronic diseases have now reached epidemic proportions.
“I am told by the Honourable Minister of Health that testing of a selected group of children in a recent pilot project has shown that the children in this group has extremely high levels of cholesterol which may be linked to bad dietary habits….my firm view is that prevention is better than cure and that we must inculcate better lifestyle choices for all, especially the very young,” the Prime Minister said.
She also spoke of the new Chancery Lane Complex, when completed, will also assist in adding capacity to the San Fernando General Hospital.
“The Complex will house the Hospital’s Administrative offices and outpatient clinics. This will increase the space available to extend the capacity of the Wards by providing additional space for beds,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar reiterated that the country deserves first class health care and emphasised that her government is committed to delivering on this promise.
“We are ever grateful for the opportunity to partner with corporate Trinidad and Tobago as your investments in this partnerships will help us to deliver quality health services to so many and to save precious lives,” she said.
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