Simon Wiltshire has been appointed the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA). Wiltshire, who replaced interim CEO, Wesley Orr, began his appointment on February 1, 2022.

Last week, Wiltshire toured several of Tobago’s health facilities including the Scarborough Health Centre, Belle Garden Health Centre and Roxborough Hospital.

Following the tour, Wiltshire said there was good infrastructural development and systems among the facilities. However, he said there was a need for more space and more staff as the number of clients expands.

“There are many things one would like to improve but instead of coming with a cookie-cutter [approach], it’s to assess where we are now; what work has been done and what the development and strategic needs are; liaising with the strategic decision-makers, executive team, the THA, to see where the vision is; measuring and monitoring where we are now; what areas we can easily improve and then making a plan of how we can get from where we are, to where we need to be,” he said.

Wiltshire said reducing waste and managing the healthcare process were important.

“Because of cost pressures largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, those have shifted resources dramatically. We also, as good stewards, have to spend resources that we have efficiently and effectively.”

Wiltshire’s last role was as the Deputy Director of Administration at the Occupational Safety and Health Agency. The CEO’s healthcare experience includes project management and quality control. He joins the Authority as Tobago’s healthcare stakeholders tackle COVID-19, and a more recent major concern, which is the Omicron variant of the virus.