THE country's parallel healthcare system devoted to covid19 patients basically has no more beds for any new patients in its intensive care units (ICUs).
This warning was issued by Principal Medical Officer of Health Dr Maryam Abdool-Richards on Monday at the Ministry of Health's virtual briefing.
She began by saying some 94.2 per cent of patients in the parallel health care system were unvaccinated, amounting to 4,178 out of 4,437 patients.
"This morning I come to you with great concern, as I can confirm that the intensive care unit demand within our country has now outstripped or is equal to the supply of beds."
She said last Saturday Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh had warned the country's ICU beds were 90 per cent full.
Abdool-Richards said, "Today the Ministry of Health can record that almost all our beds in Trinidad are filled.
"Now, in preparedness for the arrival of the delta variant, the Ministry of Health has been doing our best to upscale or increase the number of ICU beds across the hospitals in our parallel health system, and we did increase, on a phased basis, by reallocating resources and adding resources, the number of ICU beds by 25 per cent."
She said since this was revealed on Saturday, the ministry had added a few more ICU beds, but by Monday morning demand exceeded supply, just as she and Dr Michelle Trotman of Caura Hospital have constantly been warning.
She gave details.
"At the Couva Medical and Multi Training Facility we have all 22 beds occupied, so 100 per cent occupancy in the ICU units, with 21 of 22 patients unvaccinated."That's 95 per cent of persons at the Couva ICU who are unvaccinated or not fully vaccinated."
At the Arima hospital, all 12 ICU beds were filled, with none of the dozen patients being vaccinated. Some nine out of ten beds at the Augustus Long Hospital were filled, and of these patients, eight were not fully vaccinated. All four ICU beds each at Point Fortin and St James were filled, with none of the patients being vaccinated.
"This trend is a serious cause for concern."
Ministry epimiologist Dr Avery Hinds used the briefing to urge people to get the flu shot, especially those over 60 and with diabetes or obesity. He boasted of no flu deaths in Trinidad and Tobago in the past two years, and said the shot would reduce the chance of catching another infectious disease.
Asked about 102 reported cases of the delta variant, Hinds said these were spread across TT's nine counties, including Tobago, and that there were more cases of this strain within the population.
However, rather than dwell on that number, he urged people instead to act - to get vaccinated and to avoid congregating.
St Andrews/St David county medical officer of health Dr Allana Quamina-Best invited viewers to attend any one of several national "care fairs" next Friday to Saturday to promote wellness to avert non-communicable diseases (NCDs.) She said NCDs account for 60 per cent of all deaths in TT, and urged people to try to detect the signs of such illnesse
