THE PARALLEL healthcare system is now at 84 per cent occupancy.

Principal medical officer of health Dr Maryam Abdool-Richards said this means care for patients at traditional hospitals will soon be affected.

She was speaking at the Health Ministry’s virtual media conference` on Wednesday morning.

The High Dependency Unit (HDU) is 100 per cent occupied and the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is 77 per cent full.

The Caura Hospital is at 89 per cent occupancy, the Couva Hospital at 75 per cent, Augustus Long Hospital at 95 per cent, Arima Hospital at 93 per cent and St Ann’s is at 100 per cent.

As for step-down facilities, the old Point Fortin Hospital is at 75 per cent, the UTT Valsayn campus is at 52 per cent and the Debe step-down facility is at 86 per cent.

“Basically, in simple terms, our hospitals are filled,” Abdool-Richards said.

“Think of a case of your child having a severe asthmatic attack and you are calling the ambulance service and the ambulance service is basically transporting patients who are covid-positive.

"This results in you being unable to access the ambulance for your child, who is having trouble breathing and will suffer a negative consequence.”

She also gave the example of a pregnant mother who is “having complications.

“With this sort of trajectory, we anticipate that the traditional healthcare system is going to be compromised.”

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