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Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh says the public health system has now embarked on another signature project with the construction of the Linear Accelerator (LINAC) Facility at the St James Medical Complex.
Deyalsingh said this yesterday at the sod turning ceremony for the facility which cost just of $84 million and will be completed in February next year by contractor China Railway Construction Company Limited.
The LINAC machine will benefit the population by targeting treatment for some tumours, allowing the treatment of tumours in sensitive areas and have a positive impact on patient survival, Deyalsingh said.
“It is the responsibility of the ministry to ensure that cancer patients are given quality care at our public health facilities,“ the minister added
He said the oncology services include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy and immunotherapy and surgery.
Deyalsingh also said with the addition of the Central Block at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital some 504 beds would be added along with the new offices for the Ministry of Health and the Arima Hospital.
He said some of these have been on the books for decades.
He said the shortage of Chronic Disease Assistance Plan (CDAP) provides citizens with free prescription drugs and other pharmaceutical will be addressed.
“As I said publicity we have a note before Cabinet to redirect resources to the provision of medication for CDAP. CDAP cost this country $26 million a year.
He said the Ministry of Health spends $51, 520 per patient to be treated privately at an average cost of over $25 million per year.
He said between 480 and 500 patients are sent to private centres for treatment.
Deyalsingh also noted that drugs average from $601 per tablet, $1,090 per capsule, $12, 150 and $1,512 per injection.
Another issue he said was the wastage of blood required for operations/ and a lack of policy direction.
“We are going to have a serious discussion very soon how we are going to deal with blood in T&T. Because of lack of policy we are now estimating that 50 per cent of blood requested by the RHAs for operations is wasted. Do you know what that means? because of a lack of coherent policy that tells surgeons and the medical chief of staff when to request blood. That is a wastage that cannot go on,” he said.
Dr Leslie Roberts, deputy chairman of the North West Regional Health Authority, said in T&T people struggle to deal with the challenges for caring for patients with advanced cancer due to inadequate funding, inequitable distribution of resources and services, inadequate training and distribution of health care personnel and equipment.