-operation halted, more workers transported to city for observation
Following a battery of tests, the Ministry of Public Health last night ruled out the Swine Flu strain of the H1N1 virus as being responsible for the death of a Guyana Manganese Inc (GMI) worker and the hospitalisation of others.
A statement from the Public Health Ministry last night also disclosed that Zika, Chikungunya, Dengue, and Influenza A and B were also ruled out and that so far there has been no evidence of person to person transmission. However, it noted that two of the patients have tested positive for Leptospirosis, which is known to be spread through direct contact with rat urine or faeces.
The ministry said further tests are being conducted locally and samples will be sent overseas with the support from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) to conduct additional tests to rule out other possible infections. “We are taking all necessary precautions to ensure staff and members of the community at Matthews Ridge are kept safe,” it added.
Seven GMI workers, comprising six Chinese nationals and one Guyanese, were medevacked from Matthews Ridge in Region One to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) following the death of a co-worker who displayed similar symptoms on Saturday morning.
The eight men were earlier admitted to the Pakera District Hospital in Region One with fever, headaches, joint pain, mild shortness of breath, unstable vital signs and moderate to severe respiratory syndrome.
The statement yesterday, which noted that only persons who were directly exposed to one common area became ill, said that GMI has been advised to halt operations until further notice from the Health Ministry and the Occupational Health and Safety Department of the Ministry of Social Protection.
Stabroek News was told that tunnels at the mines had been closed since 1961 and were reopened on March 19th. A total of 15 employees were working in the mines at the time.
A source from the region told this newspaper that the employees were doing mine work without any respiratory safety gear.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Medical Officer (DCMO) Dr Karen Gordon-Boyle yesterday told Stabroek News that as a precautionary measure an additional six employees from the mines were air-dashed to the city for medical observation. The employees, who comprise five Chinese nationals and one Guyanese, were transported from Matthews Ridge to Ogle via a Roraima Airways flight yesterday afternoon and then to the GPH via ambulance.
Gordon-Boyle explained that since the employees were exposed to an infectious area, it was recommended that they seek medical attention.
Gordon-Boyle also noted that health officials have aborted plans to transfer and quarantine the seven miners who were brought on Saturday to the West Demerara Regional Hospital. She explained that when they looked at the logistics in terms of monitoring and evaluating them, they realised it would have been too burdensome.
They remain under the care of specialists, who are present to provide critical care should the need arise, she said.
The Chief Medical Officer Dr Shamdeo Persaud had said a “respiratory ailment” was to blame for the death and hospitalisation of the GMI workers.
Meanwhile, the ministry said the day after the miners were air-dashed to the city for medical attention, a response team comprising the Environmental Protection Agency, Surveillance and Environmental Health Officers, doctors and nurses was dispatched to Region One to support the efforts taken in the region to address the illnesses. The fortified health response, the ministry noted, focused on providing uninterrupted health services to the residents of Matthews Ridge and on conducting health assessments of all persons working in the mining area.
As a result of the situation, a National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) has been activated to coordinate the response. A meeting was coordinated with stakeholders for discussion on an emergency plan on Sunday by the Civil Defence Commission, the Department of Public Information (DPI) reported.
“At the end of the meeting, a plan of action was developed and agencies were designated specific responsibilities which are to be executed within an identified timeframe,” it said.
The Ministry of Public Health was identified as the lead agency for the response. It will be supported by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, the Ministry of Communities, the CDC, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, the Maritime Administration and the Guyana Police Force, the DPI reported.
Meanwhile, the body of the miner who succumbed due to the illness was transported from the region yesterday afternoon. An autopsy is scheduled for this week.
