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RALPH BANWARIE
Approximately $20 million has been spent on Sangre Grande Hospital, the main health institution in the East so as to improve and provide better health services for residents of the region.
This was disclosed by Minister of Health Terrence Delaysingh on his visit to the Sangre Grande Hospital on Friday.
The money was spent on the purchase of ten new ambulances, a new kitchen, and a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
The minister, who seemed to be very happy with the improvement at the hospital—especially the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit which he described as the “gem of the jewel at the hospital as it is equipped with all modern equipments—said it will save the lives of babies and reduce the infant mortality rate.
He said he was convinced that with this new unit at the hospital families will no longer lose their babies and he hopes that by 2030 the infant mortality rate decreases. Families will no longer have to go to Eric Williams Medical Sciences Centre in Mt Hope for infants care. This unit caters for ten babies and is under the care of Dr Marlon Timothy, neonatologist.
Delaysingh said it pained him when he came into office to see how the health system was run down for years. There was a cheap drug called Magnesium Sulphate which was not available and may be the reason for the high infants mortality rate, he said.
He said the health service cannot be measured in dollars and cents, but the number of lives that could be saved.