A senior Caribbean law enforcement officer will receive life-changing emergency medical care overseas after the national cabinet approved nearly $50,000 in public funding to cover his treatment and emergency transport. Senior Sergeant Jeffrey Benjamin, who sustained severe leg injuries in a recent road traffic collision, is scheduled to be airlifted to Trinidad and Tobago this Friday, July 10, in a last-ditch effort to save his injured limb from amputation.
Of the total approved funding, $40,000 has been allocated through the country’s existing Medical Benefits Scheme to cover the cost of Benjamin’s treatment and inpatient care at Trinidad’s Southern Medical Services facility. An additional $8,104 has been earmarked to cover the full cost of chartering an air ambulance, a critical requirement to safely move the injured officer between islands for specialized care. Government officials confirmed that a portion of the overall medical expenditure is expected to be recovered through existing insurance coverage held by the officer, reducing the net cost to public funds.
The emergency funding agreement was formalized during a recent meeting between Acting Prime Minister Sir Steadroy Benjamin and representatives of the national Police Welfare Association, which has advocated for rapid support for the injured officer. Senior government officials confirmed that cross-ministerial coordination to arrange the overseas treatment has been underway for weeks, with both Health Minister Michael Joseph and Education Minister Daryll Matthew playing key roles in organizing logistics and securing approval for care at the Trinidad facility.
Officials also moved quickly to refute circulating public claims that government agencies had deliberately delayed processing the assistance for the officer. They clarified that the Trinidad-based hospital only finalized its acceptance of Benjamin as a patient and issued its official treatment invoice this Wednesday, just two days ahead of the scheduled airlift, meaning no unnecessary hold-ups occurred in the approval process.