While novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients who are housed at isolation facilities in the Moruca sub-district of Region One believe the conditions they are being kept in is delaying their recovery, the Regional Health Officer (RHO) has challenged their accounts and says the number of recoveries thus far tell a different story.
Frustrated with the response they are receiving from the relevant authorities regarding their concerns, several COVID-19 patients being housed at the Santa Rosa Amerindian Hostel told Stabroek News that they were not comfortable with the treatment they were receiving while in isolation and are hoping that the relevant authorities would intervene to address the situation.
One of those patients, who asked not to be named, revealed that she was admitted to the facility on June 18th after it was confirmed that she was infected with the virus. She said that she spent 10 days at the hostel after which she was moved to the Aquero Guest House, where she spent a couple days before she was taken to the “Doctor’s quarters”, where she also spent a number of days.
The patient revealed that a few days ago she was moved right back to the hostel with no explanation given. She noted that all the time that she was being moved around, she had to stand for hours outside of her room door so the room could be cleaned and it was very frustrating considering her condition at the time.
“This is not my concern alone, it’s a lot of patients and it was very stressful. I almost get very sick and because of the moving and we had to stand up for hours because the doctors didn’t contact the persons in charge to get our rooms clean, so we had to be outside while the cleaner cleaning and it was very stressful outside because we were with our bags,” she said.
However, according to the patient, this was not the only thing that they were forced to endure. On numerous occasions, she said, patients have to eat “boiled fats” and other unhealthy foods that they wouldn’t dream of eating at their own homes. “All we getting is pieces of fat that just boil up and suh. No rice or fruit and they expect family to send these things for us,” she said before adding that what people don’t understand is that due to them being COVID-19 positive, their families are under mandatory quarantine and are in no position to help them.
Take a risk
Another issue that they are facing, the patient said, is that they were restricted from carrying anything other than their clothes to the isolation facilities. The patient said when she asked if they can carry soaps, toothpaste or any cleaning products, they were specifically told that there is no need and everything will be provided with the exception of their clothes.
The patient said many persons believed that narrative but others chose not to and carried their own stuff. However, the patients who believed are the ones left to suffer. “We were told not to carry sheets and pillows and all those other stuff and everything will be in place but they lie because some people sleeping on dirty sheets and some people don’t have soap to wash their clothes and all those other stuff,” the woman said.
She added that they were even told that their rooms would be cleaned but for three days last week their rooms had not been cleaned. She revealed that she spoke to the cleaner moments before speaking to Stabroek News and the cleaner told her that she was told that all she had to do was deliver food and medication and since she was only being paid a small stipend, she would not be doing anything else because she did not have any protective gear and she was already taking a risk by delivering the few things mentioned.
“They are telling us just to bring our clothes and nothing else and they would provide everything for us and so we didn’t walk with anything, just our clothes and we are having problems with that. Its only because we took our own initiative to bring our own soap and Colgate that some of us are okay but they should not be telling us that if they know that they are not providing anything for us because now we are wondering what is happening to us if we didn’t take our own initiative so here we are asking for help and assistance,” she said.
Another patient, who is a teacher, echoed her statements and added that she is sick and cannot get up to help herself and when she does feel better, the unhygienic conditions are discouraging. Additionally, she said, they are expected to clean the lone bathroom and toilet that are in building. She added that on most occasions the garbage overflows and many do not know what to do. “It’s like they just put us here and forget about us,” she said.
Further, she revealed that they haven’t cleaned the facility for days and she feared this is why persons are receiving a negative first result and then positive. She said, many persons are still struggling to understand what is going on and that persons are just being told they have contracted COVID-19 and they have to be isolated with no further explanation.
“When we came in here, they told us that everything is prepared and we ain’t supposed to clean because the maid will clean but when we reach here is something different. I do not understand why they are saying this and it is not true,” she said.
Additionally, she said, many persons who are not infected are saying, “why their family don’t help them just like how we are helping our families who are in isolation” and contended that not everyone is fortunate to have families that have the resources to help their relatives. As it relates to her family, she disclosed that she has many children and now that her husband’s shop had to close, they are depending on her salary which is hardly enough. “People are speaking from their privilege and not understanding what the poor man has to go through,” she said.
Fallacious
However, Region One Regional Health Officer (RHO) Dr. Steven Cheefoon on Monday challenged reports on hygiene conditions of the isolation facilities in Moruca.
“If we were not doing a proper job with our hygiene, we would have cross-contamination,” he told the Department of Public Information (DPI) and added “how is it then that we have 43 recoveries in less than a month. Those are the questions we need to ask ourselves before making fallacious statements.”
A DPI report said the RHO also emphasised that no one is allowed to enter the facilities without Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and denied any such occurrence. “That has never happened, it will never happen and it can never happen,” he was quoted as saying.
He also said the facilities are well stocked with the necessary supplies, and equipped with maids and porters. “All of our facilities at all times are stocked with a weekly supply of PPEs and our storeroom is managed by a bond clerk, who ensures that we always have two weeks supply of stocks on hand.”
The patients, the RHO assured, are receiving the best possible care even as the community grapples with a rise in cases over the past month.
