an assestment of the trinidad and tobago health care system

7/21/2019 An Assestment of the Trinidad and Tobago Health Care System

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The Alma-Ata declaration was produced in the year 1978 at the International Primary Health

Care Conference in Kaa!hstan" The declaration was written durin# the period of the Cold

$ar% where priority healthcare was #i&en to &ictims of war" This left si#nificant challen#es in

accessin# healthcare ton non-military personnel" The #oal of primary healthcare is to ensure

that citiens of a country and 'y e(tension the world is #i&en access" Contrary to popular

'elief that #ood health means 'ein# &oid of disease and infirmity% the $orld Health

)r#aniation *$H)+ defines #ood health as ha&in# a complete state of mental% physical and

social well-'ein#" Additionally the followin# points must 'e adhered to in order to achie&e

the primary health care #oal" ,irstly% reduction andor elimination of social disparities with

the healthcare system" .econdly% the needs and e(pectations of the citiens must 'e the

dri&in# force of the or#aniation of health ser&ices" Thirdly% healthcare must 'e inte#rated

within the sectors of society" ,ourth% there must 'e full participation of all sta!eholders within

the healthcare system" /astly% there must 'e dialo#ue with re#ards to the initiation of policy"

This article e(amines the healthcare system in Trinidad and To'a#o 'ased on the

contri'utions of the Alma-Ata declaration and discusses impro&ements that can 'e made to

the system mo&in# forward"

The first Cari''ean Conference on health promotion was con&ened in the year 1990" This

was the culmination of initiati&es that were pre&iously ta!en since 1978% when the Alma-Ata

declaration was first proclaimed" Please note that initiati&es adopted 'y the Cari''ean were in

line with the #lo'al healthcare promotion concepts" The followin# strate#ies were e(ecuted

'y all the islands within the Cari''ean re#ion" ,irstly% pu'lic health policies were

implemented" .econdly healthcare ser&ices were reoriented throu#hout each island" Thirdly%

communities were empowered to achie&e well-'ein#" ,ourth% supporti&e en&ironments were

created" ,ifth% the health s!ills of the &arious personnel were de&eloped" /astly% special

emphasis was placed on formin# relationships with the &arious aspects of the media"



The inistry of health is the 'ody that is responsi'le for the administration and e(ecution of

healthcare policies and pro2ects in Trinidad and To'a#o" 3ased on information sourced on the

inistry4s we'site% the ma2or documented policies re#ardin# healthcare are5 Infection

Pre&ention and Control% 6ational )ral Health% 6ational HI Testin# and Counsellin#" In each

case this polices were e(ecuted at each health care facility includin# hospitals% health centres%

clinics and special care facilities" Additionally% 2oint action committees ha&e 'een

implemented at each re#inal authority and 'y e(tension each health care facility" Please note

that the policies are also re#ularly re&iewed"

The reorientation of health ser&ices shifts from the focus from correcti&e and remedial health

care to addressin# the social needs of indi&iduals" In Trinidad there is an Arri&e Ali&e

campai#n which promotes health safety" Arri&e Ali&e is a non-#o&ernmental or#anisation"

:ri&in# under the influence *:;I+ classes are conducted wee!ly" Additionally party patrons

are in&ited to ta!e &oluntary 'reathalyser tests 'efore lea&in# the &enue" :;I was recently

passed into the Trinidad and To'a#o le#islation in an attempt to cur' road fatalities"

The inistry of Health introduced point of care *P)C+ testin# in the year <=1=" P)C

facilitates the dia#nosis patients at a faster rate 'ecause mo'ile testin# e>uipment that ha&e

the same accuracy as la'oratory e>uipment are used" This initiati&e was introduced at the

health centres and hospitals under the control of the .outh $est ?e#inal Health Authority"

This means" This means that communities within the .outh $est re#ion will ha&e access to

early health detection" This is one of the ways that a community is empowered to achie&e

well-'ein#"

,usion and is an ad&enture race that was introduced within the last ten years which is hosted

and sponsored 'y a state company" The race is a true test of teamwor!% fitness and mental



stren#th and has attracted fitness enthusiasts ali!e" This ad&enture race and acti&ities that are

similar in nature ha&e nurtured and supported an en&ironment of wellness"

The Trinidad and To'a#o 6ational $or!place Policy on HI Interaction was drafted in the

year <=1=" Committees were arran#ed in each ministry to acti&ely and a##ressi&ely reinforce

se( education and HI and AI:. awareness with specific reference to office relations"

3esides con&entional methods of educatin# the pu'lic &ia the distri'ution of literature% a

series of plays were performed to reflect the messa#es" This was a &ery creati&e way to

de&elop personal health s!ills"

:espite the implementation of policies and pro#rams coupled with the use of technolo#y in

primary healthcare% there is still an unanswered >uestion" How stron# of an impact is this

actually ma!in# on the o&erall healthcare system@ In the <1st Century was a newspaper

headlines which read other-to-'e spent an a#onisin# 1 hours sittin# on a hospital chair

waitin# for attention which came too late as her 'a'y was deli&ered dead" Trinidad and

To'a#o 6ewsday article% 'y Anna /isa Paul% arch <7th <=11" )ne may ar#ue that all the

facts may not 'e presented in the article% howe&er this headline should ha&e no place in the

newspapers" Infant mortality is one of the ma2or pro'lems pla#uin# the Trinidad and

To'a#o4s healthcare system" This is due to mista!es that were made at the health institutions

as well as improper health practices 'y youn# ine(perienced women *specifically teena#e

pre#nancy+" A #reater effort needs to 'e made train teena#ers how to deal with pre#nancies

from the social and healthcare perspecti&es" This is 'ecause each person does not #rasp

concepts in the same way"

It is often said that charity 'e#ins at home" Therefore all citiens of the country are re>uired

to adopt a health conscious attitude" It is only then that that the policies and pro#rams would



realie its full potential" Additionally healthcare practitioners should 'e held accounta'le for

their performance"

an assestment of the trinidad and tobago health care system

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