President Donald Ramotar yesterday announced plans to meet with opposition leaders and civil society to join forces in a national response to “prepare and protect” the country from the Ebola virus.
In an address to the nation, Ramotar emphasised that the threat posed by the virus calls for the full cooperation of the entire nation.
“This situation, I am sure you will appreciate, is one that calls for the full cooperation of the whole population of our country. I propose to seek maximum cooperation on this urgent matter,” he said. “I shall be formally inviting the Leader of the Opposition and the leaders of all Parliamentary Political Parties and civil society to join forces with the government in a national response to prepare and protect our people from the deadly Ebola disease.”
The president noted that the virus has already crossed continents into Europe and the United States and as a result Guyana has also initiated preventative and curative measures should it reach these shores.
As part of the steps taken to limit the possibility of the virus reaching Guyana, a travel restriction has been issued against residents of a number of West African countries travelling here during the epidemic and Guyanese have been advised not to travel to those destinations. Further, citizens who have travelled to any of those areas must declare that they have done so, or that they have flown to any West African nation at risk of the virus.
Surveillance at port of entries, he noted, has also been stepped up and passengers arriving in Guyana are being more thoroughly screened. In this regard, he added that the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and Ogle Airport authorities and the ministries of Works and Health have been working closely to monitor the arriving passengers.
According to Ramotar, government has already and will be
acquiring more medical supplies and protective gear in order to be better prepared. Retention centres are being identified and equipped for quarantine and monitoring of suspected cases. Arriving passengers showing symptoms of the virus will be quarantined at holding centres at ports of entry and public health responses have been organised.
Elsewhere, persons showing symptoms of the disease would be cared for under conditions of strict isolation if hospitalised. Larger populations of suspected cases would be mandatorily quarantined at identified facilities established in the country, he added.
Ramotar said government is profoundly concerned about the impact the virus has had and continues to have on the governments and people of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone and particularly in West Africa. While the international community has only recently started providing tangible assistance to affected countries, he disclosed that “Guyana, in its own small way, has joined those efforts to muster resources to assist these countries in halting its spread,” although he did not give specifics.
