A Ministry of Health medical team which was dispatched to the North West District following six deaths from a gastro-like illness over the past few weeks is fanning out to other areas after concentrating on the Moruca Sub-Region where the illness had been most prevalent.
When contacted yesterday Medex Lalita Rebeiro who is stationed at the Kumaka District Hospital at Moruca, acknowledged that the team was still in the area. However, she referred all queries to Minister within the Ministry of Health Dr Bheri Ramsarran. Efforts yesterday to obtain a comment from the minister and from Director of the Regional Health Services (RHS) Dr Narine Singh were in vain.
Singh told this newspaper last Thursday that a medical team from the RHS department of the Ministry of Health was preparing to visit Region One to give support to personnel stationed there as part of an outreach and to carry out routine testing in the process. Another RHS official also informed this newspaper last week that the team would be in the area for a week and would concentrate its efforts on the Moruca Sub-Region.
A source at Santa Rosa told this newspaper yesterday day that the situation has “died down a bit” adding that only about four persons had been taken to the Kumaka Hospital over the last few days where they were treated and discharged. The source said a resident doctor arrived in the area over the weekend and met residents yesterday and gave advice on safe sanitation methods including the use of water. The source said however, residents are still concerned about the entire situation.
Following the deaths of 32-year-old Calvin Charlie, his 63-year-old mother Helena Charlie as well as pensioner Albert De La Cruz and 10-month-old Troydon Thornhill, residents had expressed concern about their health since these individuals died after experiencing symptoms associated with the ailment.
Stabroek News had also reported on the deaths of two persons at Port Kaituma who had the same symptoms. A resident at Port Kaituma told this newspaper yesterday that a medical team at the Port Kaituma Hospital had been providing residents there with medication for various ailments including diarrhoea and vomiting and the team has started moving to other areas such as Matthew’s Ridge and Arakaka all located in the North West District. The Citrus Grove, Port Kaituma resident said that there have not been any other reported cases in the area.
Meanwhile, medical personnel at the Mabaruma Hospital told this newspaper yesterday that while a few patients suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting were admitted and discharged from that medical institution over the past two weeks, there have not been any other reported cases at the hospital.
Dr Singh told this newspaper last week that persons in the area are usually affected by diarrhoea and vomiting whenever the rainy season begins as residents there would usually use water from nearby rivers and creeks for cooking as well as consumption. Noting that this was the root of the problem he said that persons in outlying areas are usually reluctant to seek medical treatment at hospitals in those areas.
He advised that residents living in areas such as in the Moruca Sub-Region should follow essential sanitation rules such as the washing of hands before eating. Singh also urged persons experiencing any form of sickness to seek medical attention early before their situation worsens.
