By LARA PICKFORD-GORDON Saturday, March 21 2009

Medical personnel from the United States and Canada have “inspected” local health facilities and are satisfied with TT’s preparedness for the Summit of the Americas.

The Health ministry’s corporate communications unit issued a memorandum “Update on the Emergency Services Subcommittee Activities of the Ministerial Steering Committee responsible for the Summit of the Americas” sent by the Chief Medical Officer Dr Anton Cumberbatch to Health Minister Jerry Narace on Wednesday.

Cumberbatch stated that advanced medical personnel from the US met with ministry officials and inspected facilities.

The visitors “indicated satisfaction with the capacity and level of preparedness.”

According to Cumberbatch, at a meeting on March 8 the US delegation “indicated that they expect that the health services of TT will be used to provide care for the President of the USA, if this becomes necessary.”

A meeting also took place with a team from Canada “who expressed satisfaction with the public health care level of preparedness.”

The Canadian team visited at the end of February.

Cumberbatch is the chairman of the Emergency Services sub-committee which has developed a plan of public health surveillance and emergency medical care for the summit.

This plan is based on the ministry’s Disaster Preparedness Programme which was further adapted and successfully implemented for the Cricket World Cup in 2006.

The plan includes public health surveillance of all hotels, cruise ships, airports, seaports, conference centres. Cumberbatch reported that the surveillance plan “ensures the highest standards of public health. There will be surveillance for infectious diseases for all participants of the summit”.

A comprehensive Emergency Medical Care Plan was developed which catered for deployment of trained emergency medical personnel at strategic summit locations.

“All locations are supported by properly equipped ambulances and are linked to our Hospital Emergency Care Services. The Plan is being coordinated by the Ministry of Health’s Disaster Response Centre which is not being adapted once again for the summit”.

Disaster drills have taken place to heighten response levels and coordination.

Cumberbatch stated that these exercises will continue to ensure the highest levels of preparedness.

On Thursday, Health Minister Jerry Narace stated that the US Embassy contacted the Ministry to indicate it had “full confidence” in TT’s health system.

He said, the US said that President Barack Obama would be treated locally “if something happened”. Narace said the embassy would issue a statement expressing confidence in the health system.