SOCIAL SECTOR INVESTMENT PROGRAMME
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SUSTAINING GROWTH, SECURING PROSPERITY
CHAPTER 3: NATIONAL SOCIAL SITUATION
• 40%of the population lacks sufficient weekly
exercise;
• 65% of persons 45 – 64 have 3 or more risk
factors for CNCDs;
• 50% of persons 24 – 64 have 3 or more risk
factors for CNCDs;
• CNCDs are increasingly present in children
and youth populations.
The MOH formulated several campaigns to
encouragehealthylifestylesamongthepopulation:
• The “Fight the Fat T&T Wellness Revolution
Campaign”;
• The “Check Yourself, Know Your Numbers
Campaign”;
• The “Healthy Eating Active Lifestyle
Campaign”;
• The “Partners Forum for Action on Chronic
Disease”;
• The removal of soft drinks and other fatty
foods from lunches provided to schools;
• The Childhood Healthy Lifestyle Camp or
“the Wee Fit Camp”;
• The National Wellness Fest, Trini Food
Makeover & 5K.
In addition, the MOH embarked upon:
• The construction of the Sangre Grande
Enhanced Health Centre;
• The construction Penal Hospital and
Rehabilitation Centre.
B. Access to Healthcare Facilities
The MOH undertook the construction of new
facilities and upgraded existing facilities to
meet the increasing demand for healthcare.
Achievements in this area relate to the following
facilities:
• Construction of a New Insect Vector Control
HeadOffice andChemicalWarehouseFacility
in Cunupia with an expected completion
date of January 2013;
• Commencement of construction of a US $4
million medical laboratory to serve residents
in Couva and environs;
• Newly opened University of the West
Indies (UWI) Training Facilities and Medical
Students Accommodation at San Fernando
General Hospital;
• Commencement of construction for the
new Children’s Hospital and Multi-Training
Facility in Couva which is to contain a 150-
bed Adult’s Hospital and 80-bed Children’s
Hospital.
In the areas of tertiary care services the following
was achieved:
• Established a Breast Surgery Theatre, at the
St. James Medical Complex;
• Opened a state-of-the-art ophthalmology
theatre, Cardiology Unit, Oncology Unit and
an Eye Theatre at the San Fernando General
Hospital;
• Provided glaucoma filtration surgery at the
Sangre Grande Hospital;
• Made available breast reconstructions and
corneal transplants at other Public Health
Facilities;
• Completed Women’s Clinic at St. James
Medical Complex;
• Commenced operations at the Mt. Hope
Maternity Hospital also of a Multidisciplinary
Cardiac Clinic in Pregnancy in October 2012.
Over the period June 1st 2010 to present,
approximately 2.2 million patients visited health
care facilities throughout Trinidad & Tobago, and
in excess of TT$70 million in medical care was
spent on more than 3,500 persons each year.
C. Dialysis Treatment and Organ Transplant
Several measures were implemented to ensure
access by patients in need of access to dialysis
treatment and organ transplants, through:
• The Prepaid Dialysis Programme, where
the Ministry pays for treatment services at
private health care facilities;
