PDM Has Concerns About Healthcare

Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, September 2, 2022 – The PDM says the Healthcare system is not serving the nation well based on personal testimonies they have heard.

In a press release, Opposition Leader Edwin Astwood said he was “very concerned about the lack of clinical services being made available to citizens”.  He was especially concerned that Grand Turk residents had less healthcare offerings than those in Providenciales, claiming that there was also difficulty for locals to get appointments.

“A number of patients have brought to my attention the difficulty in getting an appointment to be seen, and many have expressed the feeling of being neglected.  And as we all know, with health matters timing is everything.” he said.

Astwood claimed that during his tenure, both locations had identical equipment, and identical complement of staff, with a few variations in numbers.   He encouraged residents to demand more from the government in regard to health services.

“We all have to demand more from our health services providers, demand more accessibility, demand more diagnostic competency, demand more high dependency units, demand the availability of Intensive Care capability (ICU), demand more attracting and retaining highly skilled personnel, demand increasing salaries of our health personnel.”

He said a good healthcare system was one that:

• is organized in a way to ensure timely access to the highest attainable standard of care to all its citizens
• one that has the right programs managed by competent well-paid professionals
• one in which clinics provide constant preventive and curative care for the most common conditions and primary health care in facilities or in the community where people live

Astwood maintained that the system must be Effective, Safe, People-centred, Timely, Equitable, and Efficient.