T&T RUNNING SHORT ON ICU BEDS TO TREAT COVID 19 PATIENTS

By a staff reporter: 

There are only three more Intensive Care Unit spaces available in the parallel healthcare system in Trinidad for COVID-19 patients, as of Monday morning. Speaking at the ministry's virtual press conference on Monday, Principal Medical Officer of Institutions Dr Maryam Abdool-Richards said 49 of the 52 ICU beds in Trinidad were occupied, and 96 per cent of the patients are not fully vaccinated.

The revelation comes just two days after the Minister of Health warned that the country was on the verge of running out of space to provide this level of critical treatment to patients. Dr Richards said the ministry is working to increase capacity but admitted the contingency does not allow for many beds to be added due to resource constraints such as medical staff to tend to the patients.