March 22, 2017:
We need to harness the skills of our fellow qualified Tobagonians in the field of healthcare to improve this service on our Island. Councillor Dr. Agatha Carrington, Secretary of Health, Wellness and Family Development expressed this view when she and Mr Godwyn Richardson, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA) met with all the current and graduate Tobagonian students of the University of Trinidad and Tobago’s Masters in Health Administration (MHA) Programme, on Friday 17th March, 2017, at the Division’s Conference Room, Glen Road. The MHA Programme is designed to develop middle and senior level managers in the Health Sector.
The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the Division’s plans to improve the administration of healthcare on the Island by utilizing Tobagonians with this expertise. Dr. Carrington said “the investment by the state in education is significant and it is time our citizens get the returns on our investment…we must ensure that we utilize the best persons to manage our healthcare.” Dr. Carrington also signalled the intent to utilise these persons to streamline the management of administrative processes within the primary and secondary care, in the priority areas of emergency room management, clinical support services and obstetrics and gynaecological services. Dr. Carrington concluded that utilizing these qualified Tobagonians will ensure “greater accountability and improve the efficiency of the service delivery of our healthcare services.”
Mr. Richardson welcomed this renewed focus of the Division and expressed his excitement to see the plan materialize. He said “we all must embrace this plan as an opportunity to boost the organization’s capacity and create opportunities for our successors”. The meeting concluded with the identification of some action items to execute, to bring the plan to fruition.
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For further information, please contact:
Communications Unit
Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development