Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh is promising to fulfill the initiative of his predecessor Dr Fuad Khan to have the post of director of women’s health filled as soon as possible, especially to deal with maternal deaths.
He made the statement as he delivered the feature remarks at the national consultation on ‘Improving Maternal, Infant, Child and Adolescent Health through quality interventions in T&T’ hosted by the Office of the Representative of the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre, Port-of-Spain, yesterday.
“I am going to recognise the effort of the past administration in taking a Cabinet note which establishes the office of director of women’s health and I would like to give the last administration a round of applause for that because if we are to break down the silos it starts with me,” Deyalsingh added.
He said the portfolio would entail the planning and supervision of the strategies and processes in maternal and neonatal units of the Regional Health Authorities (RHAs).
Asked when a director would be appointed Deyalsingh said that matter was now being looked at by the public service.
On examining past reports submitted to the ministry stemming from neonatal deaths he said the director of women’s health would be charged with that responsibility and would also be responsible for the planning and supervision of the strategies and processes in maternal and neonatal units of the RHAs and all hospitals throughout the country.
“The ultimate aim of this directorate is to lead the charge in the reduction of maternal and perinatal mortality rates by three quarter by 2020,” Deyalsingh added.
He said when a woman died in child birth that death must not be looked as merely a statistic as part of the soul of the nation was lost.
“Women are the bedrock of society and we lose that little bit of humanity. We also lose the potential of that young life that may not have survived more than two, three hours....what could that young baby have grown up to be? Another prime minister?,” Deyalsingh questioned.
Urging that humanity be brought back in the practice of medicine Deyalsingh said: “There is the need for continuous assessment and intervention in the provision of maternal health care across the entire public and private health sector.”
On the issue of management, he said that had to be much more closely monitored.
Regarding the recent passing of Kellane Hinds, who died last week Monday after giving birth via C-section at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, Deyalsingh said that reiterated the need for continuous assessment and intervention in the provision of maternal and child health in T&T.
A key component in reducing child mortality rates, he added, was nutrition.
Deyalsingh said currently, a maternal and child health assessment tool was being utilised in the RHAs which would identify gaps in the system in an effort to provide continuous quality improvement.
“In recent statistics from the UNICEF multiple indication cluster survey, T&T stated that just 1.8 per cent of children under the age of four months were exclusively breastfed, which was a level considerably lower than recommended.
“At age six to nine months, 19.2 per cent of children were estimated to be receiving breast milk and solid or semi-solid foods. This, dropped to 10 per cent by age 20 to 23 months,” Deyalsingh added.
He said it was in that regard that the Health Ministry had recommended that the National Breast Feeding Co-ordinating Unit be established as a sub-unit of the directorate of women’s health to co-ordinate and manage breastfeeding functions and activities locally.
These activities, the minister added, included the implementation of the national breastfeeding policy, implementation of the international code of marketing of breast milk, substitutes in public and private facilities and the extension of the baby friendly concept to communities, workplaces and public spaces.