A SHORT HISTORY OF THE TRINIDAD & TOBAGO MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (T&TMA)

Trinidad was visited by Columbus in 1498 while searching for El Dorado, and he claimed the island in the name of Queen Isabella. In the 17th and 18th centuries the territory changed hands between the Spanish, French and British.

Because of the Spanish heritage and the influence of the Cabildo (the town Council) which held sway in St. Joseph, the first capital, great attention was paid to the responsibility of the medical practitioner for his patient. Because of this, the Medical Board of Trinidad and Tobago which is empowered to make rules governing the conduct of physicians and the practice of medicine actually antedated the General Medical Council (GMC), which body is empowered to do the same functions in the United Kingdom.

It was because of this tradition of seeking to promote the Medical and Allied Sciences and to maintain the honour and interests of the Medical profession that a Branch of the British Medical Association (BMA) was instituted in Trinidad in 1892, sixty years after the institution of the parent body.

The first President of the Branch was Dr. Masson in 1933, and each succeeding year successive Presidents were selected, until the present incumbent Dr. Deo Singh. In 1969 however, some years after the independence of the Territory, an effort was made to seek independence of the Branch from our Alma Mater. This could not honourably be done until outstanding fees were paid to the London Headquarters. Dr. James Waterman MBE, MD, FRCOG, a previous secretary treasurer undertook to collect the $10,000.00 owed to our UK headquarters.

This was done, a Constitution was presented, and permission was granted to the Branch to become Independent with affiliation to the BMA, and the name selected was the Trinidad and Tobago Medical Association under Act of Parliament No 24, 1974.

With the passage of time, the membership has increased. Through the prompting of the Dr. Val Massiah, the premise at 115 Abercromby Street, Port of Spain was purchased conjointly with the Dental Association, in the name of two trustees from each group. Unfortunately efforts to purchase the adjoining lots were not successful even through BMA offered financial support. The Medico Dental House as it was known was sold in 2003 and the new location of the Medical House is No. 1 Sixth Avenue, Xavier Street Extension, Orchard Gardens, Chaguanas.

A Tobago Branch was added to the North, South and Central Branches in 1998.

A Website has been developed and the benefits of updating our Library facilities including access to the Internet have been made abundantly clear. The Association would have celebrated 78 years as a Branch of BMA and 29 as an Independent body eagerly seeking ways to improve the lot of its members justifiably claim credit for the production of an internationally recognised Medical Journal in Caribbean since 1938 - an offshoot of Dr. Waterman's personal effort. Since his death the CMJ continued under the aegis of the T&TMA. The formation of constituent bodies in Surgery, and General Practice has been effected and the Association has organized many International Conferences and its annual Medical Research Conference is now the single largest forum for presentation of local research in the country.

 

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