–President reiterates importance of all health care professionals
One month has passed since COVID-19 claimed the life of the first Guyanese and to date, five more persons lost the battle for their lives, after being diagnosed with the virus.
At present, 45 persons have been confirmed as having being infected (inclusive of those who succumbed), with 31 in isolation. Thirteen are in quarantine and eight individuals have been reported to have recovered.
According to a statement from President David Granger, the effort to fight this disease requires unprecedented expenditure and outlay of resources to enable identification and testing, isolation, protection and treatment.
“We are becoming better prepared to provide proper personal protective equipment for the medical staff doing the testing and treatment tests and the materials and equipment such as beds, respirators and ventilators for those who become critically afflicted. The capacity for infrastructural and institutional accommodation is being expanded. Persons who become ill should have access to the best care in the shortest possible time, to ensure their recovery and rehabilitation.”
He reminded that although the national focus is on those who have been infected and afflicted, the public should remember that public health professionals and service providers (doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and all other supporting staff – medical and non-medical) are doing their best in providing the required care for those in distress.
“Public health practitioners are on the front line of protecting those stricken by the disease. They have been working tirelessly through this very difficult situation to provide quality healthcare to those who have been infected and afflicted. Everyone in the public health system has played a vital part in the fight against this disease.”
According to the President, while the public has been instructed to ‘stay at home’, in physical isolation, health professionals are required to leave their homes and families, daily, to work in the health centres, hospitals, quarantine stations and other institutions do their part to combat the disease. The service that they provide, he pointed out, should not be taken for granted.
“Every day, they report for duty to work in conditions that could be dangerous to their own health and safety. Let us all think about these public servants and employees in private institutions who are putting their lives on the line. We all should ponder their personal, physical, psychological and emotional needs and that, day after day, they are pressed beyond measure to deal with so much human suffering.”
