Dear Editor,
In October I offered some thoughts on ebola and some elements of the approach needed to contain it, based on international experience. Among the things I pointed out was that i It is universally recognized that ebola could be contracted by anyone exposed to the virus.
ii The infection is contagious when the symptoms including high fevers are evident.
iii The key to preventing its spread is careful and systematic planning, including the information (such as where people have travelled and whether they have exceptionally high temperatures) and arrangements (such as ambulances that can be sterilised) at the airport and post-airport isolation.
I suppose that since early October most persons in Guyana have not bothered to look at what the government is doing, especially because the US press has happily moved off panic mode, and the spread of the epidemic outside of Africa has decelerated and appears to be under control.
The known arrangements in Guyana are however very worrying, especially because in normal circumstances incompetence stalks the land and the issue is politicized by the PPP.
Prior to writing to the newspapers I spoke to President Ramotar who said that he was aware of the fact that ebola was not some illness that only Africans contract. Indeed he pointed out to me that African students who had not recently been to Africa had been quarantined and that he would look into that matter with a view to putting an end to it.
In the KN of November 11 Guyana’s Chief Medical Officer, Mr Shamdeo Parsaud, proudly announced the country’s arrangements for prevention and outbreak and for dealing with an outbreak should it arise. The piece began, “whilst the Government believes that immense measures are in place at its official ports of entry…” Among the main measures he mentioned were i monitoring unofficial points of entry; ii the monitoring of African students who, according to the CMO were mostly Nigerians, even though they may been here for more than 21 days and may have been nowhere near West Africa immediately prior to that; iii the denial of visas to all Africans and the requirement for visa applicants’ certificates proving that they had been tested for and were free of ebola!
He said nothing about steps to advise visitors or anyone with suspicious symptoms to go to a limited set of places of treatment or testing.
In reading what he had to say I could find no sign that in the course of their emergency planning the authorities had utilised or planned to use the logistical skills of the military in tracing, transporting and isolating suspects. This dimension has turned out to be one of the key issues in containing the spread of the infection. Those in physical contact with victims need to be quickly identified, located and quarantined, special vehicles made available along with an extensive amount of protective gear.
The CMO’s comments leave me with the following questions:
i Why the government’s obsession with African?
ii Is there evidence available to the CMO that a member of any other group passing through one of the affected countries in West Africa (or anywhere else) cannot contract the illness?
iii. Do they have secret information suggesting that only African students, rather than those who have travelled to ebola-affected areas, contract the illness?
- How is it that in spite of their “immense measures,” money can only be found for PPP ministers to travel all over Guyana to hand out $10,000 as though they are donating charity from their own pockets but in 6 months money cannot be found for a single non-contact thermometer to be used at the airport?
Preventing the spread of ebola cannot be effected primarily by refusing to give entry visas to African nationals.
What is really going on in Guyana’s Ministry of Health?
Yours faithfully,
Carl B Greenidge