Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has publicly condemned the former PNM administration for what she characterized as “malicious neglect” regarding the Couva Children’s Hospital. Speaking at a re-dedication ceremony on Sunday, the Prime Minister revealed that the previous government maintained the state-of-the-art facility shuttered for an entire decade while allowing approximately $100 million worth of medical equipment to deteriorate into obsolescence.
According to an initial assessment conducted after her administration assumed office, the squandered resources included 217 unused medical devices valued at over $20.68 million still confined to their original packaging. Additionally, ten major radiology systems—featuring advanced 3T MRI and 64-slice CT scanning technology—worth more than $33.5 million had expired beyond functionality. The inventory of losses further encompassed 45 medical items valued at $14.2 million that became obsolete and 225 critical diagnostic and sterilization systems valued at $31.9 million rendered non-functional.
“This represents not mere bureaucratic delay but deliberate malicious neglect,” Persad-Bissessar asserted. “These resources, funded by taxpayers, could have provided life-saving treatment to countless children throughout these lost years.”
The legacy of this neglect continues to burden the nation financially. A recent Urban Development Corporation (Udecott) assessment estimates that taxpayers must now allocate $78.2 million to repair and replace the compromised medical equipment and address structural deficiencies identified in a September 17 report. The facility requires comprehensive mechanical, plumbing, electrical, architectural, and structural remediation.
Despite these challenges, the government has initiated partial operations at the 230-bed hospital. Since November 28, surgical teams from all four regional health authorities have performed 86 same-day procedures, including fistula repairs, varicose vein ablations, breast mass removals, lump extractions, and complex hernia repairs. These initial interventions begin addressing waiting lists that exceed 11,300 cases, including more than 4,600 delayed ophthalmology procedures.
The hospital has also launched Paediatric Specialist Clinics since December 1, providing care to 16 children who otherwise would have required overseas treatment in specialties including neurology, rheumatology, neonatal care, endocrinology, and cardiology.
In a significant regional development, Persad-Bissessar announced a partnership with Guyana’s government during the ceremony attended by Keoma Griffith, Guyana’s Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning. This collaboration will facilitate the recruitment of approximately 50 Trinidadian doctors to address staffing needs in Guyana’s expanding healthcare system.
The South West Regional Health Authority has commenced recruiting 40 additional nurses specifically for the Couva facility. The government plans to gradually introduce full MRI and CT imaging services, cataract and ophthalmology surgeries, and expanded endoscopies in coming months while continuing specialist staff recruitment.
The re-dedication ceremony also featured acknowledgments of corporate and individual donors, including Trinclean Ltd’s contribution of 60 wheelchairs and Inovaar Marketing Consultancy Agency Limited’s donation of 58,000 medical-grade masks with an additional 8,000 pledged.
This development occurs against the backdrop of recent revelations before a parliamentary committee that $80 million worth of pharmaceutical drugs expired at Nipdec’s central stores over the past decade, further highlighting systemic issues in the nation’s healthcare infrastructure management.