Beckles: Public health system on the brink amid nursing crisis

2026-03-29 - 18:54

Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles has warned that Trinidad and Tobago’s public health system is facing a crisis due to a growing standoff between nurses and the Government. In a statement yesterday, the Opposition Leader said several health facilities were forced to close last night because there were not enough nurses on duty, with student nurses being drafted to fill gaps. She linked the shortages to what she described as the Government’s failure to pay nurses what they are owed. On Friday in Parliament, Beckles questioned Health Minister Dr Lackram Bodoe about the Government’s plan to address tensions with nurses. She said he responded that he was unaware of any impasse, a stance she said is now at odds with the situation on the ground. Beckles cited reports of protests by the Trinidad and Tobago National Nurses Association (TTNNA) over stagnant salaries and concerns about patient care. The protests, she said, have raised the possibility of a national demonstration. The Opposition Leader criticised the Government for promising a 10 per cent salary increase to public servants while nurses are effectively taking home less. She questioned whether the Government is reducing, withholding, or clawing back funds owed to nurses, asking: “Where is the money going?” “This Government cannot deliver, and every sector is feeling the strain. Now the public health system is feeling it,” she said, calling on the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health to acknowledge the crisis and act. Beckles warned that the backbone of the healthcare system is being pushed to the brink while authorities remain out of touch, leaving the people of Trinidad and Tobago to bear the consequences.