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If the trend in the numbers of new covid19 cases in TT continues as it has over the past few days, the parallel health care system would be at full capacity in about a month says Dr Maryam Abdool-Richards, Principal Medical Officer-Institutions at the Ministry of Health.
Between April 23 and May 1, there were 1,689 new cases, taking the number of active cases to 2,355.
“Given that current rate, all things being equal, at a rate of an average of 100 cases a day, the beds can actually be diminished or be utilised within three weeks to a month, which is, of course, a very concerning trend.”
Speaking at the ministry’s virtual press conference on Saturday morning, Abdool-Richards said during weeks 14 to 17 of this year, there had been a “significant increase” in hospital occupancy in the parallel health care system.
In the last week, hospital capacity increased to 50 per cent with ward level occupancy fluctuating between 37 and 50 per cent, intensive care unit (ICU) increasing to 40 per cent and high dependency unit (HDU) to 25 per cent.
She said ten out of 100 people who get covid would need to be hospitalised and, out of every 100 people hospitalised, only two would be discharged per day. That would create a net gain of eight people per 100 per day.
She broke down Friday’s numbers indicating that 173 people were in five of the seven hospitals in the parallel health care system – 116 at Couva with eight in ICU and ten in HDU, 36 at Caura, 20 at Scarborough, and one in ICU at Signal Hill. By Saturday morning there were also ten people at the Arima hospital which was re-introduced into the parallel health care system on Friday with an additional 67 beds. The ministry also added 50 beds to the Couva Hospital, and transitioned the Augustus Long Hospital with 48 beds to treat confirmed covid19 cases.
Because of these additions, as of Saturday morning, the parallel health care system had over 500 beds and the overall hospital occupancy was 24 per cent. The ward level occupancy was at 12 per cent, ICU at 21 per cent, and HDU at 25 per cent.
“What we are noticing, from a clinical perspective, is that persons are presenting to hospital very ill, especially those with coexisting medical conditions. And we are seeing a deterioration from ward level sorts of care to ICU and HDU care. And of course this has been one of the reasons why we saw the increasing trend in terms of morbidity and mortality.
“If we continue on this trend, especially given the recent numbers – 326 per day, 328 per day – we will not have the parallel health system available when we really need the bed for yourself, for your co-worker, for your family and others.”
[caption id="attachment_887236" align="alignnone" width="1024"] File photo: Arima General Hospital is once again being use to treat covid19 patients in response to a surge in cases. -[/caption]
Taking up from Abdool-Richards, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh lamented recent videos and reports of hundreds of people congregating to buy food at various locations including the Queen’s Park Savannah in Port of Spain, the Eddie Hart Grounds in Tacarigua, Curepe Junction, and Cross Crossing in San Fernando.
On Thursday the Prime Minister announced, among other restrictions, the closure of all restaurants and bars from midnight on Thursday to May 23. Street vendors were allowed to continue operating.
Deyalsingh said, “In my view, it’s not about blaming street vending or blaming bars or whatever. What we at the ministry are grappling with, and this is what countries around the world are grappling with, is human behaviour.”
He said that behaviour, which puts the “socio-economic fabric” of the country at risk, was not limited to people of any one demographic or group. Instead, “every creed and race” had “abandoned personal responsibility.”
“So it’s not about having food vending on the focus or on the radar. It’s about appealing to individuals and communities to please accept the fact that we are in a global pandemic.”
He asked people to cook at home, and only leave their homes for essential business like going to the grocery or pharmacy.
He said the population of TT put themselves in the current position and they have to get themselves out of it.
“Forget this argument about public and private space. The covid virus doesn’t discriminate about public and private. That is academic and that’s for the lawyers. I am speaking to Trinidad and Tobago.”
He said while more beds and hospitals could be added to the parallel health care system, there were limited doctors and nurses to care for patients.
“Healthcare workers are human beings. They are not robots. They can’t work 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They need to rest. They have families too. They have children too.”
He also clarified that, with Thursday’s restriction that all places of worship be closed, religious leaders were still allowed to go to their places of worship with up to five people and live stream the services.
He thanked leaders of the Muslim community for their discipline in closing their mosques even though it is an important time in their religion.
“I want to send out a particular thank you to the Muslim community. In the holy month of Ramadan, literally smack dab in the middle of it, that your mosques were in fact closed and you took it in the spirit of nation building.”
 
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