Couva Health Facility to be expanded

A population explosion in Couva as a result of new housing projects is one of the reasons why the Couva District Health Facility will be expanded.

Chief executive officer of the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA), Anil Gosine, said yesterday that the emergency department at that facility saw the most number of patients in all district health facilities under the SWRHA.

A tender notice inviting contractors to bid on the expansion work has already been placed in the daily newspapers and a mandatory site visit date is scheduled for next week Monday.

Gosine said the eastern side of the hospital was being extended.

He said: “We are extending the facilities because we have more services now being offered at Couva and the number of patients at Couva is phenomenal. We needed to increase the waiting area for the services.”

Recently implemented services included dermatology, urology, psychiatry and other specialties, Gosine said.

He added: “In Couva, there is a large population growth with all the housing so we have lots more patients coming in. The emergency department at Couva is probably the highest number of patients that you will see at any district health facility.”

Most patients were rushed to the emergency department because of cardiac problems, accidents and fractures, he said.

Gosine said the SWRHA was implementing new clinics at District Health Facilities to decentralise the services at the San Fernando General Hospital.