Dear Editor,
There is a serious health crisis unfolding in Guyana that has yet to be sufficiently addressed by the authorities responsible for maintaining and assuring the public safety and welfare. We urge PAHO Director Dr Carissa Etienne to leverage her good office to impress upon her hosts the absolute, necessary steps that should be taken to address the debilitating chikungunya viral threat that plagues a growing proportion of the nation’s population.
Unofficial reports indicate the virus has reached grave proportions in Guyana, yet the health ministry is downplaying the health crisis and doing little to address it. Unconfirmed yet credible reports on the ground significantly surpass the documented 81 confirmed cases, as revealed by the PAHO Country Representative Dr William Adu-Krow.
Entire families are experiencing symptoms that are consistent with this virus. Our young students are missing essential classroom time and studies in order to recover. Our private sector is losing its critical momentum for productivity as many employees must stay home to recover from the painful, dreadful effects and complications associated with chikungunya. Our newspapers carry daily accounts of people who have been afflicted by the virus, yet nothing substantive is being done to mitigate these effects.
We repeat our call for the health authorities to investigate immediately this concern and to develop urgently a reporting system for health care institutions and the national health ministry to track confirmed cases of the virus. Also, health officials should be given the resources to conduct surveillance studies for tracing chikungunya’s spreading pattern to determine how best to deploy targeted health and preventive interventions.
We also take this opportunity to call on PAHO’s local office to assist with technical support and guidance for managing effectively the current situation.
Yours faithfully,
Clinton Urling
Executive Chairman
Blue CAPS
