Tobago’s alternative Health Secretary from the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) Dr Faith B.Yisrael has taken Health Secretary Tracy Davidson-Celestine to task over her approach to dealing with the COVID-19 situation in Tobago.
Davidson-Celestine is the PNM’s Tobago Council political leader.
At a press conference yesterday, PDP’s deputy leaders Assemblyman Yisrael alleged the Tobago Regional Health Authority(TRHA) is poorly managed.
She also claimed patients seeking treatment at the hospital for various illnesses contract COVID there.
Yisrael has a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree in Behavioural and Community Health Sciences from the Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree and a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Neuroscience from the University of Pittsburgh.
At two successive press conferences in July, the TRHA indicated there was a “cluster of infections” in the Male Medical Ward at the Scarborough Hospital.
The authority said 31 staff members and 11 patients became infected from a COVID- positive patient. Four patients died.
However, the Yisrael alleged that other “clusters” of infections exist on other wards at the hospital, and the PNM- controlled TRHA is “covering up” the situation.
Yisrael cited yesterday’s Tobago Health Update press briefing, attended only by Davidson-Celestine and primary health care nursing manager Kathy-Ann Greenidge-Ottley, as an attempt to “cover-up the situation.”
Yisrael questioned the absence of senior medical personnel on the day Tobago recorded its highest number of new COVID cases since March 2020.
The TRHA said there were 52 new infections.
She said,”I was hoping to get an idea of the plan to treat with the spike… considering where nationally the numbers seem to be going down… sadly we had a situation where there were none of the regular health professionals who usually come forward to have candid conversations with the people of Tobago.”
Medical chief of staff Dr Victor Wheeler, primary care services Manager Dr Roxanne Mitchelle and county medical of health’s– COVID Response Team– member DrAnthony Thompson usually attend the briefing.
The PDP’s deputy leader said she tuned into the press conference to get updated information on the COVID situation.
“ The absence of the regular health professionals… identifies in my mind a lack of genuine leadership on the part of the Secretary of Health,” Yisrael said.
At the briefing yesterday, the Health Secretary told the media she is there to discuss THA’s policy approach to health issues in Tobago. She said the TRHA is not hiding information.
“When I sit here the information I provide is accurate… as we have it recorded on our systems …No one here is hiding any situation…There is no cover-up at the hospital,’ Davidson- Celestine said.
Guardian Media reached out to the Tobago Council of the PNM for comment on Yisrael’s allegations but did not get any response up to press time.
