R8.5m to rebuild health centre in Baie Lazare |28 June 2023
The Minister for Health, Peggy Vidot, has said that the re-construction of the health centre at Baie Lazare, which will cost R8.5 million, will begin by end of August 2023.
Her statement follows a question by Hon. François Adelaide, the elected member for Baie Lazare, who wanted some details regarding the reconstruction of the district’s clinic.
The minister was answering various questions from the members on her ministry.
She stated that in view of the state of the present health centre which is costing a lot to maintain, the decision is to build a new one on the same site which will be in the form of a one storey building.
With regard to a question by Hon. Richard Labrosse, the elected member for Plaisance, on the ministry’s future plans for patients on methadone, Minister Vidot said that the programme to assist patients will continue with improvements to its services including its outreach programmes to help address risks associated with the chronic addiction by patients to heroin.
She noted that drug addiction is a public health concern with regard to which more training will be given to health professionals for intervention purposes among others.
Minister Vidot added that the ministry will further develop its needle exchange programme among drug users to prevent them from contracting diseases associated with sharing of needles.
She said that apart from tackling the high threshold, the ministry will also be working with other stakeholders for re-skilling programmes to re-instate clients in employment should they wish.
In the same line Hon. Andy Labonte, the elected member for English River, wanted to know if a site has been identified for the construction of a rehabilitation centre for drug addicts. The minister replied that the centre to deal with psychiatric and drug addiction patients will be built opposite the English River health centre.
She said that the ministry is waiting for feedback from sponsors to start the processes and procedures leading to the construction of the centre to provide all the services under one roof.
Answering a second question by Hon. Richard Labrosse regarding measures in place to ensure that the service offering for treatment overseas is not being abused, Minister Vidot said that the ministry has enough measures in place to ensure that abuses do not take place.
She noted that to date, as compared to the past, it is only the health specialists, and no other individuals or organisations, who recommend for and has to satisfy the board for patients to be treated overseas.
She explained that previously when patients were sent to overseas hospitals for specific health issues, the ministry was later charged for tests done not related to the patient’s health condition.
“Today we send the patient’s medical report in advance to various hospitals and we also ask for a quotation before a decision is taken to where the patient will be treated,” the minister said.
“If they discover the necessity for additional tests, they have to notify us for the board to give its approval before proceeding,” the minister said.
Minister Vidot noted that people accompanying patients overseas are briefed on the latter’s medical intention overseas prior to departure and if they seek to have other tests or treatment other than those approved by the ministry, they will bear the cost. In the event of a patient seeking for a second medical opinion overseas, Minister Vidot said that the ministry will have to be provided with proofs and will bear the cost only if the tests or treatment done were not able to be done locally.
Given that cancer is among the main causes of death in the country, Hon. Kelly Samynadin wanted to know in what way the ministry is thinking, in terms of increasing its effort, to detect people with high risk of contracting the disease and if it is also thinking of decentralising its screening services with the aim of detecting and controlling the disease.
In her response, Minister Vidot said that the ministry is putting a lot of effort to ensure that screening and early detection of cancer takes place.
She added that the service is already being decentralised and apart from outreach programmes in the communities, pap smear tests for women are offered in all clinics across the country, including the mammogram screening tests at work places and screening test for colon cancer more precisely on Praslin and La Digue.
She noted that the ministry is placing more emphasis on prevention in relation to lifestyle that will help against contracting the virus.
She called on the population to take advantage of the screening test services available for cancer.
On behalf of Hon. Churchill Gill, the elected member for Baie St Anne Praslin, Hon. Rocky Uranie, the elected member for La Digue & the Inner Islands, asked the minister to inform the Assembly when will the work on the oxygen plant, clinical lab, laundry and hyperbaric chamber at the Baie Ste Anne Praslin Hospital will start and when it is expected to finish.
Minister Vidot said that the first phase of work will begin in October 2023. She stated that the plan for the project, to cost R4.5 million, is expected to be put forward to the Planning Authority for approval before work could begin.
She noted that the timeframe for completion will be made known as soon as the contract for construction will be awarded.
With the initial cost for the whole project standing at R9.5 million, Minister Vidot said that the rest of the money from donors will be used in the second phase.
With regard to another question by Hon. Gill, presented by Hon. Uranie, on what can the ministry do, in terms of sleeping arrangement, for people on Praslin and La Digue who accompany their close relatives admitted at the Seychelles Hospital, Minister Vidot said that for the moment it is not possible to make provision for a convenient place to sleep given the structure, size and function of the wards at the hospital which do not permit to offer such sleeping facilities.
She noted though that in the event of extreme cases, they do make the most to ensure that the people staying with the patients are comfortable.
Minister Vidot stated that the future plan for the development of the hospital will include a hostel element which will cater for sleeping facilities to assist people accompanying patients to the hospital.
She added that assisting people from Praslin and La Digue accompanying patients to the Seychelles Hospital has always been a concern for the ministry to which they provide for those who accompany children under 18 years of age, including patients travelling alone, with free return plane tickets among other assistance.
Minister Vidot also answered a question from Hon. Labonte regarding the criteria used to reimburse patients who decide to undergo treatment overseas, the time it takes for the reimbursement to be approved and the length of time the patients have to wait to get the money after approval has been given.
Minister Vidot said that in general, patients who decide to go on treatment overseas on their own are not eligible for reimbursement except if they fall sick while abroad or need an urgent treatment that could not be offered locally, among other decisions proven right that were overturned by the medical board.
She noted that reimbursement of funds could take up to one or two months depending on information to be collected.
She advised all people travelling abroad to get a travel insurance to avoid having to pay for medical treatment in case they fall sick.
Patrick Joubert