Trinidad and Tobago is facing a shortage of nurses, with many leaving for countries offering better salaries and benefits, Health Minister Dr Lackram Bodoe has said.

Speaking yesterday to reporters after the handover ceremony for the College of Science, Technology, and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago’s (COSTAATT) inaugural Nursing Assistant Programme at its Port of Spain compound, Bodoe said the shortage mirrors a global trend, but the Government is working to strengthen the local healthcare workforce.

“There is a shortage of nurses in Trinidad and Tobago, but this is also part of the worldwide problem of the shortage of nurses,” he said.