Health Minister Phillip Telesford has indicated that the sister isle of Carriacou & Petite Martinique is getting its fair share of assistance from government in upliftment in its health services.
According to Minister Telesford, work has been completed at the Princess Royal Hospital in Carriacou on the refurbishment of the building following the passage of hurricane Beryl just over a year ago.
He also reported that the government has also commissioned a state-of-the-art digital x-ray system at the hospital.
“Our citizens living in Carriacou and Petite Martinique no longer would be required to brave the waters traveling to Grenada for x-ray services,” he said.
The minister disclosed that the government is currently engaged in conversation with the U.S. Southern Command which donated laboratory equipment, as well as a containerised laboratory facility and clinic on the island of Carriacou.
“We are currently in conversation with them to relocate that facility to the Princess Royal Hospital to be able to serve our patients better. No longer samples would have to be sent to Grenada for laboratory analysis,” he said.
In addition, Minister Telesford indicated that the Petite Martinique medical facility is expected to be completed by June.
The senior government minister also highlighted the work being done by the government on a “physicians’ manual, which guides the policy framework for clinicians that practice at the General Hospital.”
He said the State has also “developed root cause analysis and peer review frameworks to enhance care analysis and patient outcomes.”
These are not idle boasts – these are work that has been done by our hands at the Ministry of Health,” he remarked.
“We are embracing a change-management philosophy, driven by advice from Mount Sinai International and Project Polaris.
“…We are preparing to hire a Chief Executive Officer, Chief Engineer, Director of Quality Improvements, Director of Human Resources, and a Financial Controller for the change management at the General Hospital,” he said.
Minister Telesford also touched on the much-delayed National Health Insurance (NHI) that was started under the former New National Party (NNP) government of Keith Mitchell.
“We continue to work along with the University of the West Indies (UWI) – Health Economic Unit (HEU) for the implementation of NHI in Grenada, that body of work, which is currently under review,” he said.
Shortly after coming into office in 2022, the Dickon Mitchell-led Congress administration ended discussions with a U.S-based outfit that was contracted to initiate NHI for the island.