Over the months of March and April 2020, the UNDP Trinidad and Tobago Country Office, under the ‘Primary Healthcare Initiative Project – Phase II’ assisted the Ministry of Health (MoH) in the recruitment of sixty (60) nurses to support the Ministry in their efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic in Trinidad and Tobago. These nurses will function primarily under the parallel healthcare system established by MoH to facilitate the detection and treatment of patients infected with COVID-19 in the country. The nurses have been assigned to the COVID-19 treatment facilities in Arima, Caura and Couva with a smaller contingent of nurses being deployed amongst the various Regional Health Authorities (RHAs) to assist with community testing and to provide support to the respective emergency departments and intensive care units.

The establishment of a parallel healthcare system dedicated to treat COVID-19 patients has been an important aspect in the Ministry’s strategy to contain the spread of the virus. By ensuring that COVID-19 patients are isolated and treated separate and apart from the rest of the population who require medical attention, the Ministry has sought to prevent possible infections that may occur in hospitals and other medical facilities. The successful recruitment of this cadre of nurses was therefore a key component in the effective functioning of this parallel medical system.

The UNDP Trinidad and Tobago Office is pleased to have collaborated with the Ministry of Health to successfully recruit these nurses and remains a willing partner to assist the nation in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic.