Over US$10M in cancer diagnostic equipment for RHAs

  • Sep, Sun, 2024

Senior Reporter

andrea.perez-sobers@guardian.co.tt

The five Regional Health Authorities (RHAs) have received over US$10 million in new state-of-the-art diagnostic imaging equipment.

This was donated by Phoenix Park Gas Processors Limited (PPGPL) and received by the Northwest Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) at the St James Medical Complex at a handing-over ceremony yesterday.

Acting Prime Minister and Energy Minister Stuart Young said corporate Trinidad has a responsibility to assist, and the energy sector has been doing its part.

“It is always important that we look after our brothers and sisters. And as a citizen, that is something that bothers me daily: that those who have more in our corporate society try and help those who have less. Because the Government cannot carry it alone.

“So when I see things like this even though it is a state enterprise, hopefully, it will open up that confidence and that opportunity and that desire in other private sector companies to find these types of partnerships, in particular with the health sector and with our education sector, to look after all of the citizens,” Young emphasised.

Please maintain the equipment–Young

He pleaded with those in charge of the RHAs and centres to properly maintain the equipment.

“Very often it could be one small part that goes down and the length of time it takes to go through a procurement process to get it back working … Please, I plead with you all, and I plead with the administration, the Ministry of Health, the NWRHA, and all of the RHAs not to let that happen. We have to maintain these things because there are future generations that need them,” he added.

Also speaking was PPGPL president Dominic Rampersad, who said people no longer have to mortgage their home and use insurance policies to get access to this equipment; it is available.

“When we first started, it was intended to go to the National Oncology Centre. And then there was a change of government policy, which initially we completely supported because not everything has to be centralised. You have to make it easy to access. So I would say to the Ministry of Health to say thank you for ensuring that this equipment is now available at all of the regional health centres,” Rampersad added.

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