T&T pledges J$50-m towards children's health fund

THE Trinidad and Tobago Government Thursday pledged J$50 million to set up a fund to assist Jamaican children needing life-saving surgeries not readily available locally.

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who made the announcement at a press conference at Jamaica House in Kingston, said the fund is similar to one in her country, where TT$100 million has been set aside to address the medical needs of children with life-threatening conditions.

The private sector and other donors, said the prime minister, would be required to contribute to the fund. "I call upon Jamaicans to put money into the fund to grow it," she implored.

"Where surgery is not available in the country we will establish the fund so we can pay for the expenses of these children; Government would put some capital and private sector would be asked to contribute," she told reporters.

The Children Life Fund, she added, would also seek assistance from international agencies.

Persad-Bissessar — the first female prime minister of the twin-island republic — had recommended that the Caribbean Community could utilise the special Petroleum Fund, to which her administration had pledged its continued support, to deal with the social and health challenges faced by the children of the region.

The Petroleum Fund was established by Trinidad and Tobago in 2004 "to provide relief to Caricom member states experiencing economic hardship resulting from persistently high international prices for crude oil and petroleum products".