Address by the Hon. Kamla Persad-Bissessar at UNC Monday Night Forum – COUVA CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

And while we are talking about government projects I want to address the matter of health care and that Children’s Hospital that is within the line of sight from where we are tonight. It’s walking distance from here … and if the government had any concern for the people that would have been the first project to open.

They refused to open it even though it was completed and fully equipped with state of the art equipment, the best in the whole Caribbean region.

Now the Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh is talking about a private sector partnership through which the Government would provide a state-of-the-art building, while the interested companies would provide the staff, funding and additional necessary equipment to have the hospital up and running.

We want that hospital opened and we want it to be a part of the national health infrastructure that would provide quality health care for everyone at no cost. We don’t know what Mr. Deyalsingh is contemplating because his announcement is vague.

We need to pay careful attention because the HISTORY OFJOINT VENTURE PROJECTS OF THE PNM is nothing but scandal after scandal and corruption

Failed WGTL project
Failed BROADBRIDGE project

But I want you to know that with the help of the Chinese Government we built that modern facility next door and equipped it … it was ready to open when we commissioned it in August last year but the government has refused to touch it because it was a project of the PP.

We would have had that hospital fully operational if we were back in office but the PNM is determined to punish the people. Tonight I call on Deyalsingh and the PNM to open the Couva Children’s Hospital immediately. It’s ready to provide services and this vague plan is designed as a stonewalling tactic to keep the facility closed while pretending to find a way to open it.

OPEN IT NOW, Mr. DEYALSINGH! We are not prepared to wait anymore.