The main opposition on Friday warned that the government’s announced response to the threat of the Ebola virus are unsatisfactory and called for a national plan of action.
The call was made several hours before President Donald Ramotar held a high level meeting on the Ebola virus with at least 15 stakeholders.
During its weekly press conference, the main opposition coalition’s health experts stressed that at present the focus should be on taking steps to ensure the disease does not enter Guyana and an aggressive response is warranted.
Members of parliament Dr George Norton and Dr Karen Cummings pointed out that based on their knowledge the health care system lacks the required protective care and they expressed concerns about what they dubbed the poor efforts being made to educate the population on the disease as well as lack of information as to what is being done at the country’s borders with Brazil, Suriname and Venezuela.
Just a week prior, Presi-dent Ramotar had told the nation in an address that 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.
On Friday, the George-town Public Hospital disclosed that a woman who recently returned from West Africa and had some health concerns was confirmed to not have the Ebola virus but was being closely monitored.
Dr Norton, who is the Shadow Health Minister for APNU, said the coalition was calling for the “immediate” announcement of a nation plan of action to respond to any threat of the disease entering Guyana.
While attacking the president’s address to the nation on the issue, Norton said that what was stated indicates that the Ramotar-led government, despite its awareness of international alarm over the Ebola outbreak in certain West African countries, which was reported six months ago, is still to convince the population that the administration is ready to deal with the threat.
He said Minister of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran has reacted slowly despite being warned of the gravity of the public health treat. According to Dr Norton, “APNU is dissatisfied with the uncoordinated, unsatisfactory and ad hoc responses announced by the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic administration.”
He said that the coalition demands that the government pay closer attention to protection, prevention and surveillance; community engagement and social mobilisation; containment, coordination and control; and clinical preparedness and case management.
“APNU reaffirms it total commitment to protect the population from any threat to public health. APNU is prepared to work with the government and civil society in order to achieve this goal,” he read from a prepared statement.
Norton also said APNU has been utilising its television programmes as well as the local government elections campaign, including walkabouts and public meetings to educate the public.
In terms of the training, Dr Norton expressed concerns. He said that while the facilitators are qualified, persons are not being encourage to return to the training. He said persons have complained that they have to share gowns, while adding that in the Accident and Emergency Unit of the hospital there is no such suiting available.
He also disagreed with the location of the quarantine area, which has been set up at the Georgetown Hospital.
Dr Norton later stated that the president, though he has expressed his intention of consulting APNU on the Ebola virus, is yet to do so. “We are there ready to go should he ever invite us,” he said. Asked whether the coalition would take it upon itself to reach out to the president, he responded that APNU has openly expressed its desire to come on board. Dr Cummings interjected, stating that the coalition is not the government and lacks financing. “We can only do our awareness campaigns for the time…,” she said. She added that the coalition will consider requesting a meeting with the president to discuss some of their ideas, given the severity of the issue if there is an outbreak in Guyana. “We work as a team…I have no problem [with] our approaching him because it is not an APNU issue or a PPP issue. It is an entire nation,” she added.
Dr Norton stressed that APNU is prepared to work with the government and civil society. Further pressed on APNU seeking out government to discuss this issue, he said that given its national, regional and international importance, APNU will have to formally request a meeting with government. He could not say when this would most likely be done but noted that it may be before the end of the week given that there is now a confirmed case in New York.
Dr Norton agreed that Guyana should set aside money to deal with tackling the virus as is being done in other countries. “Certainly we will support any effort made at the level of Parliament and the Ministry of Finance to find money for this prevention,” he said, while noting that Ebola is a public health crisis of international concern. “If there is an emergency it is now,” he added.
Dr Cummings urged that billboards and messages be put up to help educate and sensitise the public. She stressed that prevention and control should be high on our agenda. “Ebola is not here and we want to prevent it from coming here,” she said.
Asked if the APNU has a strategic plan similar to the one that they are asking the government to create, she responded in the affirmative, while explaining that the coalition will focus on reducing the risk of wildlife to human transmission and pay closer attention to protective gear, especially for the health workers, training and containment.
Among those in attendance at the meeting with the president on Friday were Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon, Dr Ramsaran, Works Minister Robeson Benn, the police commissioner Seelall Persaud, army chief-of-staff Mark Phillips and Chief Executive Officer of the Georgetown Hospital Michael Khan.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control, Ebola is spread through direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes in, for example, the eyes, nose, or mouth) with blood or body fluids of a person who is sick with Ebola though objects (like needles and syringes) that have been contaminated with the virus. It is not spread through the air or by water, or in general, by food.
Healthcare providers caring for Ebola patients and the family and friends in close contact with Ebola patients are at the highest risk of getting sick because they may come in contact with infected blood or body fluids of sick patients. Exposure to Ebola can occur in healthcare settings where hospital staff are not wearing appropriate protective equipment, including masks, gowns, and gloves and eye protection.
Once someone recovers from Ebola, they can no longer spread the virus. However, Ebola virus has been found in semen for up to 3 months. People who recover from Ebola are advised to abstain from sex or use condoms for 3 months.
Among the symptoms are fever (greater than 38.6°C or 101.5°F), severe headache, muscle pain, weakness, diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal (stomach) pain and unexplained haemorrhage (bleeding or bruising).
Symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola, but the average is 8 to 10 days. Recovery from Ebola depends on good supportive clinical care and the patient’s immune response. People who recover from Ebola infection develop antibodies that last for at least 10 years.
