# data[].attributes.body
Trinidad and Tobago’s healthcare system is one of much concern. Some of the major problems they face are shortage of medical personnel, medical equipment and drugs. The top three causes of death (ischemic heart disease, diabetes and stroke) are deaths that could be easily prevented would the right prevention programs put into place. Furthermore, better allocation of resources need to be put into getting the necessary medical equipment and drugs, as well as programs to provide more medical personnel that are highly qualified. These recommendations can lead to a better healthcare system and overall better health of the country.

# data[].attributes.headline
6. Improvements Necessary for Better Healthcare

# data[].attributes.subject
6. Improvements Necessary for Better Healthcare

# data[].attributes.body
- To fix the shortage of medical personnel there needs to be a program put into place that would help more students enter the medical field.
- In addition to this they need to create positions for these students after they have received the necessary qualifications.
- More of the spending needs to be directed to buying the necessary medical equipment and drugs needed to meet the medical needs of the country.

# data[].attributes.body
Top five leading causes of death:
1.) Ischemic heart disease
2.) Diabetes
3.) Stroke
4.) Chronic Kidney Disease
5.) Alzheimer's disease

# data[].attributes.body
- The Ministry of Health provides financing for the activities of the RHAs through annual budgets that are submitted by each RHA.
- In addition to providing the finance they also make sure that the RHAs are spending the money efficiently to meet the needs of the population. They do this by the use of auditing to ensure that the resources are being used adequately.
- The Ministry of Health gets its financing through annual budgets submitted to the Ministry of Finance

# data[].attributes.body
- According to the Oxford Business Group, The Ministry of Health manages the public health system and the introduction of The Regional Health Authorities Act in 1994 delegated the everyday business of providing healthcare to the five Regional Health Authorities (RHA).
-These five Regional Health Authorities are the North West RHA (NWRHA), the Southwest RHA (SWRHA), the North Central RHA (NCRHA), the Eastern RHA (ERHA) and the Tobago RHA (TRHA).

# data[].attributes.body
- According to Pacific Prime, Trinidad and Tobago’s healthcare system operates in a two-tier fashion that has a primary and secondary tier.
1.) The primary tier is the public sector that provides basic health care free to all citizens.
2.) The secondary tier is the private sector that is used by people that have the means to do so and it provides higher quality care and reduced waiting time to those who can afford it.
- There are around 138 health facilities that serve the country’s medical needs that include twelve public hospitals and four private hospitals.
- According to the CIA, there are only 1.82 physicians/ 1,000 population.
- The Trinidad and Tobago Guardian also expressed that there is a shortage of drugs and medical equipment in the country.

# data[].attributes.body
Trinidad and Tobago is a country with two islands that are governed by one government. The two islands are located in the south of the Caribbean near Venezuela. The healthcare system in the country has been plagued with numerous problems that are typical of a developing country. Some of the problems they face are not enough medical personnel, shortage of drugs and also a shortage of medical equipment.

# data[].attributes.body
- According to the CIA, Trinidad and Tobago has a population of around 1,218,208 people (July 2017 est.) and of this number about 60,000 lives on the smaller island known as Tobago.
- The birth rate is 12.7 births/ 1,000 population and the crude death rate is 8.8 deaths/1,000 population.
- The infant mortality rate is 22.3 deaths/ 1000 live births. This number is alarmingly high when compared to developed countries, which typically have a number that is below five.