If a ballot were taken on the status of our health sector, it’s more likely than not, the masses would unanimously vote it’s in a state of crisis. For the voting masses aren’t foolish, recalling their painful visits to the Emergency Department (ED), when they were forced to literally fight through a mob, to get medical attention.
In fact, it was from a recent IDB inspection visit, when we were brought to the painful realisation that the very ED at the country’s tertiary hospital, could only accommodate half the number of patients, at any given time. And it’s this limitation in capacity, with crowds at the solitary entrance, that accounts for the simple process of seeking emergency medical attention, becoming an outright tussle.
Thus, from the evidence available, of our health sector buckling at its knees, we take pause to scrutinise under the performance microscope, to better understand its shocking failings. For it cannot be denied that this sector, of incompetent leadership under the installed Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony, is at a tragic breaking point.
However, even as it’s evidently at breaking point, Dr Frank Anthony, in an irretrievably delusional state, would characterise it as world-class. And in characterising the health sector as world-class, Dr. Frank Anthony would boast of the $143B budgetary allocation, along with the supposedly innovative policies implemented by the installed government.
But examining the health outcomes, emanating from this supposed world-class health sector, it’s painfully evident that in Latin America and the Caribbean, we have the lowest life expectancy, even as we register the highest maternal and neonatal mortalities. Further, in this supposed world-class health sector, it’s evident that the crude death rate, a measure of the number of deaths in our population per year, has notably increased.
Moreover, in this supposed world-class health sector, it’s patently obvious that nursing numbers have significantly decreased from 2020-2024, evident by the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) 700 nurses’ vacancies, with thousands more throughout this People’s Progressive Party (PPP) health sector.
Additionally, in this supposed world-class health sector, it’s evident that bed numbers decreased over the PPP decades in power, to now stand at a despairing 36 per 10,000 population. Finally, in this supposed world-class health sector, the shocking bed numbers exacerbated by appalling patient flow management, has led to a resurgence of patients’ bed sharing.
So, even as this installed government boast of delivering a world-class health sector, the evidence on record doesn’t support their assertion. And recognising the evidence doesn’t support their assertion, they would ever so often indulge in medical propaganda, desperate to hoodwink the masses. But the masses aren’t easily hoodwinked, since many, including innocent children, are dying from innocuous injuries and ailments.
In fact, as PPP indulges in medical propaganda, many of our young mothers and newborns are dying in childbirth. Further, as PPP indulges in medical propaganda, many of our children are dying from basic childhood ailments, including malnutrition. Moreover, as PPP indulges in medical propaganda, many are having premature deaths from cardiovascular disease. Additionally, as PPP indulges in medical propaganda, many of our diabetics are having limb amputations, even as they are burdened with other diabetic complications.
Now, confronted with these shocking death rates and morbidities, in an archaic health sector, we can’t help but illuminate the causative corruption before our eyes. For undoubtedly, this health sector, from 2020-2024, was budgeted nearly $400B, yet has failed to deliver any significant positive health outcomes. In fact, even as this PPP health sector failed to deliver any significant positive health outcomes, the underlying reason, rampant corruption, remains conspicuously evident.
And it’s for this very reason, despite hundreds of billions budgeted over the years, our health sector progression has been wholly retrograde. Thus, the conclusion is without question, rampant corruption is blighting this PPP health sector, evidenced by the shocking death rates and the associated morbidities, despite a $400B investment.
