The
RHA Act 1994 created five RHAs. The Act was amended in March 2000 to
reduce the number to four: North West
Regional Health Authority (NWRHA); South West
Regional Health Authority (SWRHA), Eastern
Regional Health Authorities (ERHA), and Tobago
Regional Health Authority (TRHA).
RHAs
are autonomous statutory bodies functioning as the providers of health
care services to all residents in their respective regions.
Under the RHA Act, the RHAs own and operate primary and secondary
health facilities located in their regions.
Tertiary health services are provided by the Eric Williams
Medical Sciences Complex and the General Hospitals in Sangre Grande,
Scarborough, San Fernando and Port of Spain.
Each RHA is run by Boards which are made up of health
professionals and representatives of commerce, industry and the wider
community.
The
decision to have the RHAs managed by non-executive Boards with a Chief
Executive Officer responsible for implementing Board policy and also for
leading an executive team has meant a completely new way of conducting
business in the public health sector. Aspects of fiduciary
responsibility between the Ministry of Health and the RHAs have been
addressed through guidelines provided by the Ministry and through
requirements in the RHA Act. Among the many challenges of the reform
initiative is the need for the Ministry to guide and monitor without
negatively affecting the ability an RHA to develop and perform as
envisioned. However, this need has to be balanced with the national
mandate for the RHAs to provide quality services in a cost-effective,
cost-efficient and equitable manner.
