Months into the arrival of the Coronavirus pandemic here, the courage and determination showed by health workers on the frontline cannot be spoken enough of. All health workers deserve commendations for standing their ground during this debilitating and dangerous pandemic particularly those in the COVID-19 unit who not only have to discharge their professional obligations but also have to be concerned about their own protection and about the safety of their families.
This challenged was aptly summarised in an interview in yesterday’s Sunday Stabroek by general nurse Ishaku Zechariah who said “When it comes to COVID care, you don’t only care for the patient you care for the patient and at the same time, care for yourself”.
The incoming administration must make every effort to ensure that the frontline workers are appropriately rewarded and that everything possible is done to protect them and their families from the spread of this virus.
With 12 deaths, 183 cases and 2,048 tests done up to Saturday, the Ministry of Public Health continues to face questions about its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
No COVID-19 testing was done on Friday and Saturday due to “problems” at the National Public Health Reference Laboratory (NPHRL), Stabroek News was told. This is troubling as on the last day of testing 12 cases were discovered. There is therefore the prospect that more infections have occurred and these should be immediately confirmed and the patients isolated. This late in the Coronavirus pandemic, the public health system cannot afford days when no testing is done.
There should have been backup capacity for Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing as the public had been led to believe that there was another PCR machine at the Guyana School of Agriculture which could have been mobilized for this purpose. Was this ever done? The St Joseph Mercy Hospital has its own PCR machine and the Public Health Ministry should have been able to make an arrangement with it to enable continuous testing. If this has not been done it should be pursued immediately.
It is likely that the death toll of twelve is understated as samples have not been taken from persons who died presenting possible symptoms of the Coronavirus. It is unclear what the Public Health Ministry has instructed in relation to acquiring samples for testing following deaths particularly of the elderly and those with chronic underlying diseases.
The number of tests done so far – 2,048 – remains underwhelming. It is evident that there will be a high number of negatives but there must be expanded testing. As has been shown in countries that have flattened their curves, wide scale testing is required to identify pockets of infections and to contain these before more persons can be infected.
In this context it is vital to press the Public Health Ministry on the amount of resources that have been put into contact tracing. How many persons are actively involved in contact tracing, are they present in all regions, what resources are available to them and how many positive cases have been found? The public has a right to know what weight the Ministry has given to contact tracing and how it might be stepped up since our curve is not flattening and there has been a troubling rise in infections in communities such as Moruca.
Despite enough lead-in time, isolation facilities have not been readily available or adequate. As reported in the June 20 Stabroek News, the surge in cases at Moruca created problems. Although an isolation facility was constructed before the first case of COVID-19 was recorded, it can only accommodate four persons. As a result, the Aquero Guest House was converted into an isolation facility but that too can only accommodate a limited amount of persons.
As a result, 10 of the 12 new cases were placed in isolation at the Santa Rosa Amerindian Hostel, which is still undergoing renovations. Although the rooms at the hostel are clean, there is only one bathroom and toilet, which all who are there have to use. Eight teachers and two health officials were placed at the hostel. Three patients are in one room and although there is enough space in the room, patients feel that they should have been placed in their own rooms. Stabroek News was also told that the hostel is almost filled and the room that is available does not have any beds.
Conditions for the isolation of the positive cases at Moruca must be immediately addressed and a review urgently carried out to ensure that each region is able to adequately house positive cases and suspected cases.
The alarming rise in cases and deaths in Brazil require the Ministry to coordinate with the Joint Services to ensure that illegal crossing points are properly sealed and to stay in close contact with the Brazilian authorities. The risk of infections in the hinterland also has to take account of the continuation of gold mining near populated areas. The Ministry has been criticised for the classification of mining as an essential service and must evaluate whether the rise in cases is linked to the transiting of miners.
In line with World Health Organisation warnings, there can be no letting down of the guard against the Coronavirus and where new cases are discovered there must be aggressive contact tracing, testing and the requisite facilities to ensure adequate treatment and isolation.
