PAHO Donates Information Systems, Telemedicine and Cold-Chain Equipment to the Ministry of Health

PAHO Donates Information Systems, Telemedicine, and Cold-Chain Equipment to the Ministry of Health

The Honourable Minister of Health, Terrence Deyalsingh and PAHO/WHO Country Representative, Dr. Erica Wheeler

Port of Spain, February 8, 2023 (PAHO) - The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) donated equipment to improve service delivery in the Ministry of Health's Expanded Immunization Programme (EPI) and to bolster its telecommunications-enabled health services.

Since the emergence of COVID-19, PAHO has supported the Ministry of Health in developing the Electronic Immunization Registry (EIR). The EIR is a confidential, population-based information system containing vaccine dose-administered data. The system facilitates individualized immunization monitoring by generating results with variables such as service provider, vaccine, dose, age, target group, and geographical area.

EIRs also support immunization programs by providing timely and precise information. The individualized registries identify vaccination data, providing immediate access to individual vaccine history. In addition, they facilitate monitoring and monthly planning, enabling the identification of who should be vaccinated and the follow-up of defaulters or dropouts. PAHO/WHO continued its collaboration with the Ministry of Health to strengthen the EIR's capacity by donating a server, two laptops, a business printer with supplies, and three Wi-Fi routers, courtesy of PAHO/WHO donor USAID.

Various cold chain equipment to support the Ministry of Health's Expanded Program of Immunization (EPI) was made possible through a donation by the United States Government Cold Chain Project. The equipment included ice-lined refrigerators, solar vaccine refrigerators, ice-pack vaccine carriers, temperature monitoring devices and generators. As part of this PAHO/WHO implemented project, the final donation today included three desktop computers, two collapsible trolleys and a three-step ladder. This equipment will support the administration and distribution of vaccines across the country.

Lastly, to build capacity in the delivery of remote healthcare, a requirement during the period of COVID-19 restrictions, PAHO has supported the growth and standardization of Telemedicine in Trinidad and Tobago. Accordingly, two servers were handed over to the Ministry of Health, courtesy of PAHO's donor, Project USA-Pledge: Telehealth for Non-Communicable Diseases. The equipment will enable data backup on the Telemedicine application's primary server.

Speaking at the handover, The Honourable Minister of Health, Terrence Deyalsingh, expressed his gratitude, stating, "The Ministry of Health is grateful for the continued support and collaboration with PAHO. The equipment received will be used to provide additional support for services such as the Telemedicine and vaccination program, which will ultimately resound to the benefit of the people of Trinidad and Tobago"

Dr. Erica Wheeler, PAHO/WHO Country Representative, handed over the equipment to the Health Minister at the Ministry of Health in the presence of the Chief Medical Officer, Roshan Parasram and other staff members.