Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy yesterday denied BBC reports that Guyana had quarantined four persons who came here from Mexico, but admitted that the persons were “being monitored”.
One of them, he said, was a Ministry of Health senior staff member who had gone to Mexico for a brief training programme and recently returned. The others were coaches who went for training in the United States and flew over to Mexico for recreation.
“We never quarantined anyone,” Ramsammy said. “We are monitoring them as we will do with anyone who came from any country where the virus is present.”
Meanwhile, the minister said Guyana is continuing to build on its security blanket in terms of the H1N1 virus commonly known as swine flu.
Ramsammy also revealed that over the next few weeks some 50 persons will be provided with seasonal influenza vaccines, but emphasized that the vaccine was not intended to treat swine flu. He explained that if the flu were to ever come to Guyana, persons with illnesses will be the most vulnerable.
“We want to identify persons and give them the shot, especially children under one year old and the elderly. In persons with mixed infections, the severity of the illness is greater,” he explained.
The minister said government has already tapped into the offer by Mexico to help in protection against the virus. He added that all the protocols Mexico used are being looked at and adopted.
The ministry has also intensified its certification of poultry plants, fish processing plants and vessels and ships. To date 3.9 million kilogrammes of fish have been certified.
Touching on malaria treatment and prevention, Ramsammy said he is not pleased with the very slight reduction in cases to date and cited the need for persons to ensure that they continue to use impregnated nets. He said his ministry will again undertake the distribution of about 20,000 nets.
He reported too that Region Ten (Upper Demerara/Upper Berbice) has seen an increase in malaria cases.
The minster pointed out too that some time ago the ministry cracked down on the use of the single dose anti-malaria treatment, but apparently the drug is still being sold at pharmacies. To this end, he said, the ministry, through its Food, Drug and Analyst Department will start a campaign to curb this.
