No glitches so far in Freeport covid19 vaccinations
Wednesday 7 April 2021
Covid19 vaccines will be given by on an appointment only basis to the elderly at Freeport Health Centre. Photo by Lincoln Holder
There has been another seamless start to a day of the administration of covid19 vaccines in central Trinidad.
Newsday visited the Freeport Health Centre on Wednesday morning to get a firsthand look at the process.
From 6 am, patients with appointments began trickling in. Those without appointments were guided to make the necessary arrangements by phone and return on the given date.
Kumar Lall said, I was unsure of the process and came to enquire about it. I was told I needed to make an appointment. The staff was friendly and assisted me with all my questions and concerns.
Thirty people vaccinated in Chaguanas by noon
File photo -
By 11 am on Tuesday, 30 people had been vaccinated at the Chaguanas health centre and were being monitored for half an hour.
There were no long lines or crowds for the AstraZeneca covid19 vaccine.
Officials at the centre told Newsday the only issues were that those with appointments were arriving two hours early. This caused a small cluster in front of the building, but didn’t interfere with the process.
There has reportedly been a good turnout for the first day of the country’s vaccine rollout programme and officials expect more people to register for appointments later in the week.
119 get vaccines in NCRHA health centres
North Central Regional Health Authority CEO Davlin Thomas. -
VACCINATIONS for covid19 at sites managed by the North Central Regional Health Authority are going smoothly CEO Davlin Thomas told Newsday on Tuesday.
Thomas said some 240 people pre-registered to receive their AstraZeneca vaccines on Tuesday at four locations – Arima, La Horquetta, Chaguanas and St Joseph.
Up to midday, 119 people received their vaccines: 30 at Arima, 23 at La Horquetta, 44 at Chaguanas and 42 at St Joseph.
At 2.30 pm, Health Minister Terence Deyalsingh was due to receive his vaccination at the St Joseph Enhanced Health Centre.
Thomas said as the regional health authority which does most of the vaccinations for the H1N1 virus, Tuesday s exercise had no hiccups as the staff were accustomed to vaccinating the public.
NCRHA introduces fever, cough and cold checkpoint at health facilities
NORTH Central Health Authority (NCRHA) CEO Davlin Thomas. - SUREASH CHOLAI
THE North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) has introduced a fever, cough and cold checkpoint, along with isopods, in an effort to eliminate the mixing of covid19 and non-covid19 patients, using tent facilities and a clear delineation and modifying of process flow systems.
“This is essential to ensure that patients with non-covid19 complaints feel safe visiting the facilities of the RHA and facilitate diversion into the parallel pathway,” the authority said in a recent press release. Suspected covid19 cases will be processed under the 40x50 tent at health facilities within the NCRHA s remit.
NCRHA CEO: First covid19 death hard on health workers
Sunday 7 March 2021
An ambulance arrives at the Couva Hospital. The hospital, managed by the North Central Regional Health Authority, was a key facility in the health system for covid19 patients. File photo -
The death of Hansel Leon, 77, resonated through the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) and the country as a whole.
He was the first covid19 fatality in TT and, according to Davlin Thomas, CEO of the NCRHA, it was difficult for everyone involved.
Leon died on March 25, 2020 at the Couva Hospital, 12 days after he was taken to the San Fernando General Hospital with flu-like symptoms.