Cancer patients who have been unable to get chemotherapy treatment at the San Fernando Oncology Centre because the lone pharmacist fell ill, will get some relief from today.
In an interview yesterday, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said he gave instructions for the chemotherapy drugs to be mixed by a pharmacist at the St James Oncology Centre and sent down to the San Fernando Oncology Centre.
Deyalsingh said the terminally ill patients who are in desperate need of the chemotherapy drugs will also have the option of seeking treatment at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Centre, the cancer service units of the Sangre Grande Hospital and National Radiotherapy Centre at the St James Medical complex.
Deyalsingh also promised to deploy additional nurses and staff at these facilities to assist with the backlog of patients.
Asked why these arrangements were not put in place before, Deyalsingh said it was imperative that the drugs be mixed correctly and a specially trained pharmacist was needed to do this.
“I have spoken to Dr Kellie Alleyne-Mike who have agreed to mix the chemo in St James and send it down,” Deyalsingh said. He also said that two additional pharmacists were being trained and will be sent to work at the San Fernando Oncology Centre over the next few weeks. Asked how many people were trained in T&T to mix the chemotherapy drugs, Deyalsingh said, “It’s not much but we are going to train more people.”
He added, “You have to be trained in the use of a fumes hood, PPE and you have to undergo specialised training to mix chemo. What is taught in pharmacy is simple compounding of medication. The mixing of chemo is not part of the curriculum.”
Deyalsingh also said the crisis at the San Fernando Oncology Centre occurred because the former People’s Partnership government had rejected a proposal from the Human Resources Inter-ministerial Advisory Committee to improve allowances for pharmacists who mix chemotherapy in 2012 and 2013. The Minister said the rejected proposal for improved allowances will be reconsidered by the Government.
“We are going to make a strong case for it and this allowance will only be for the pharmacists who mix chemo,” Deyalsingh said.
He also denied that cancer patients were being turned away from the San Fernando Oncology Centre adding that “no patient is being denied chemo.”
On Monday, scores of patients seeking treatment at the San Fernando facility were turned away after the lone pharmacist on duty called in sick.