Biomedical Enterprises of Trinidad and Tobago

Shaping the Future of Healthcare

Insights into the Future of the Trinidad and Tobago Healthcare Sector

The future of the Healthcare sector in Trinidad and Tobago is set to be significantly shaped by advancements in medical technologies, aimed at improving accessibility, efficiency, and quality care to patients. One progressive company Biomedical Enterprises Trinidad and Tobago (BMETT) established in 2017 with headquarters in El Socorro South, San Juan, Trinidad and remote offices in Georgetown, Guyana (established in 2022) understands the transformative potential of leading-edge technologies on the Healthcare landscape. The company’s founding director, Mr. Kieran Thompson, together with his energized support team has been sensitizing both private and public Healthcare providers to the expansive scope of advanced technologies in diagnostics, diverse medical imaging solutions, equipment and accessories that elevate the quality of Healthcare delivered to patients.

Kieran Thompson, Managing Director

BMETT remains focused on its vision of being the leading solutions provider to the Healthcare sector by adding value through its network of global resources and partners such as Siemens Healthineers, Varian Medical, Infinium, Schiller, and Tekno Germany. The intrinsic objective according to Thompson is fostering healthier and progressive communities across the Caribbean diaspora and throughout South America, where BMETT has gained positive engagement and outreach. Technology plays a pivotal role in shaping advancements and the required improvements in accessibility, efficiency, and quality patient care, this is what ultimately propels the BMETT team forward in their mission.

Understanding the scope of the challenge is paramount to bridging the gaps in technology and aligning with priority needs, Non-Communicable Diseases including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and chronic respiratory diseases are the leading cause of death or immobility in the region, due to lifestyle factor largely due to poor diet, physical inactivity, and smoking. PAHO statistics cite approximately 62 million people live with diabetes in the Caribbean and Latin America. Nearly 180 million adults suffer from hypertension and Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the Americas. The utilization of medical technology and advancements will aid in ensuring early detection and treatment plans, improving survival rates, and enhancing the quality of life for patients.

The T&T Ministry of Health together with its five Regional Health Authorities (RHAs) are focusing on integrating technology in public hospitals and community clinics. The roll out of Emergency Health Resources exemplified by the COVID 19 response served as a catalyst for expanding response in a proactive approach, including telehealth, gathering centralized data and Public Education. While private healthcare providers are more likely to be at the forefront of adopting new and advanced technologies, offering diagnostic tools, telemedicine and personalized treatment plans, based on precision diagnosis and analysis, the free public sector Healthcare institutions are also understanding the impact and difference that technologies can make to enhanced services. The implementation of medical technologies and AI for predictive analysis, diagnostics, early detection and management of health issues greatly compliments the trajectory towards reducing the impact of non-Communicable Diseases.

Barriers to the adoption of Health Technology include:

Infrastructural limitations, inadequate digital platforms, internet connectivity, particularly in underserved and remote communities and reliable power supply. Cost constraints associated with implementation and maintenance of technology assets are key to the sustainability delivery of reliable, quality, and impactful services to patients.
Lack of skilled Workforce – insufficient Healthcare professionals and trained technicians to support the emerging digital medical technologies.
Regulatory, Procurement and Policy challenges – Need for clear regulations and policies to guide use and implementation of technologies responsibly. Priority budgeting to procure technological assets from reputable and expert providers, to ensure reliable after sales support and maintenance where applicable.

Resistance to change – Fostering a mindset of change in order to adapt to and adopt new pathways of technological progress. Setting the necessary priorities in the process of ensuring progress for the medical fraternity and citizenry.

The end result in shaping the Healthcare future with technology can enable efficiency in Service delivery for private and public Healthcare through automated processes, reducing wait time and improved patient flow greatly elevating the overall patient experience. Precision technologies provide optimum outcomes incorporating AI digital data analytics and reporting and offer the potential for optimized treatments, cures, prevention, and mitigation. Early detection and Intervention through AI predictive analytics can identify at risk patients for early detection and reduction of progression of diseases.

Improved Disease management utilizing technology facilitates ease of monitoring and managing high risk patients. Remote monitoring technologies can reduce the need for hospitalization and lower Healthcare expenditure and costs in the long-term.

Digital information platforms, Health apps and digital information provided to patients serve as integral Health Education platforms for public information and stakeholder engagement. Every citizen plays a part and can contribute to the promotion of healthier lifestyles and preventative measures through their personal commitment to improved Healthcare.

We are faced with a future whereby the incorporation of health technologies with traditional modalities and processes needs to be of high priority on private and public Healthcare platforms, to ensure more efficient and precise healthcare care delivery. Addressing the barriers to adoption is critical to realize these benefits fully. With the strategic use of technology there is potential for substantial improvements in managing and mitigating non-communicable diseases, epidemics ,crisis situations and enhancing health outcomes across the Caribbean region and South America. BMETT is poised in its positioning and expertise, to advocate for the change in mindset and focus that is necessary to elevate the Healthcare sector to its fullest potential in the delivery of world class patient care.