A severe nursing service disruption brought healthcare facilities under the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) to the brink of shutdown during the Easter weekend, prompting urgent patient diversions to neighboring regional health authorities. The Trinidad and Tobago National Nursing Association (TTNNA) issued a formal advisory urging the public to avoid NCRHA-operated hospitals and emergency facilities, recommending alternative care at institutions managed by the NWRA, ERHA, and SWRHA instead.
TTNNA President Idi Stuart described the situation as “highly emotional and fluid,” identifying NCRHA Chairman Dr. Tim Gopeesingh’s removal as the critical requirement for restoring normal operations. The crisis most severely impacted major medical centers including the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mount Hope Women’s Hospital, and Caura Hospital, with significant staff shortages also reported at Chaguanas and Arima District Health Facilities.
The association outlined four primary grievances: unpaid February wages, reduction of overtime compensation from $75 to $60, demands for standardized overtime pay equivalent to other staff, and restricted extra duty opportunities despite persistent staffing shortages. Stuart attributed these directives directly to Chairman Gopeesingh, noting they have forced procedure cancellations, patient rerouting, and created life-threatening delays in medical care.
Stuart escalated the matter to national leadership, calling directly on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to remove Gopeesingh from his position, characterizing him as a “loose cannon” whose actions are creating dangerous ripple effects throughout the healthcare system. The chairman had previously labeled Stuart a “lying coward” in public statements, though the nursing representative declined to engage in what he termed “gutter politics.”
On-site observations at the EWMSC Emergency Department revealed dozens of patients experiencing extended wait times, with one individual reporting having navigated multiple facilities since 10 p.m. the previous evening. Another patient expressed frustration after waiting five hours without prior knowledge of the nursing action, while acknowledging understanding the nurses’ professional plight.