The THA’s Division of Health and Wellness says recent comments by the Chief Medical Officer on Hansen’s disease surveillance do not fully reflect how Tobago’s health system operates.
The Division says surveillance is handled through the Office of the County Medical Officer of Health, which receives reports from the Tobago Regional Health Authority, conducts investigations and contact tracing, and provides public education.
It says Tobago does not require a stand-alone Hansen’s Disease Unit because case numbers are low, with monitoring instead integrated into the island’s wider communicable disease surveillance system.
The Division says it is willing to work with the Ministry of Health to improve understanding and strengthen the national healthcare system.
