(Trinidad Express) The global shortage of medically trained practitioners is making it difficult for this Government to fill vacancies within the health sector, says Health Minister Therese Baptiste-Cornelis.
“When you consider the progression of health care in Trinidad and Tobago, particularly the recently planned aggressive expansion of the public health sector which will inevitably lead to an increased demand for health services and health workers, it has become necessary for the Ministry of Health to continue to recruit foreign health professionals in order to sustain the growth of our health sector,” she said.
Baptiste-Cornelis made the statements while delivering the feature address at an orientation programme for 25 general skilled nurses from St Vincent and the Grenadines at the Crowne Plaza hotel, Port of Spain, yesterday.
The nurses, who were officially recruited last year, will go through two weeks of acclimatisation at the North Central and North West Regional Health Authority before being deployed to other RHAs depending on the need as outlined by the chief nursing officer, according to David Constant, director at the International Cooperation Desk in the ministry.
“We have been notified by our chief nursing officer that there is a huge need for general nurses, but, in the next four to six weeks we are bringing a cohort of specialised Filipino nurses—for oncology and dialysis—based on our needs. We are also engaging in with the government of Cuba,” he added.
The Health Minister interjected that “India has also approached us but they are looking at doctors”. “We have gotten the green light from Cabinet (to recruit foreign nationals) but remember when the People’s Partnership Government came in, we wanted to give first preference to nationals and we have put it out there, but they are not coming back as often as they should,” she said.
Baptiste-Cornelis added that upon her return from the 64th World Health Assembly in Geneva from May 16 to 25, where she will represent this country as the vice president, she will be meeting with several Trinidadian doctors who are working in the United Kingdom. The meeting, she said, will take place on the May 26 and was organised by the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Garvin Nicholas. “I am meeting with nationals in the United Kingdom to see what are the stumbling blocks, as I said. We heard remuneration is the stumbling block but there is a limit to what we can really offer because I have to be fair to the doctors who have stayed in Trinidad and Tobago. I can’t treat them as if it’s okay (to give the doctors who went away more money). I want equitable delivery,” she said.
The minister added that the contract with the Cuban government to import Cuban health officials has not been terminated, but a new criterion has been established and will be enforced. “I want that anyone who comes here can speak English,” she said.
