Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) representative Dr. William Adu-Krow has stated that now that testing has been done at the state-run Palms Geriatric Home, authorities will have a better handle on the situation there.
He noted last week that the Ministry has done a good job at the facility and that a review was being done to ascertain if some of the patients should be taken elsewhere so as to reduce the numbers and contain the spread at the home.
Dr. Adu-Krow did, however, note that following reviews of the conditions at the home, it was recognised that there was no decontamination chamber at the facility.
When Stabroek News contacted Dr. Leston Payne, the Deputy Director of the Health Emergency Operations Centre, Payne stated that there is adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for staff members at the palms who have to deal with patients.
Dr. Payne noted that following the COVID-19 outbreak at the home, steps were subsequently taken to set out space to be used as isolation facilities. He noted that construction was ongoing prior to the outbreak to prepare to house more residents at the home. However, instructions were subsequently given to have the newly constructed sections ready to be an isolation facility at the home. “What we instructed them to do is to make this wing isolation-ready in such a way to work as an isolation facility. It was being done but it was being done slowly,” he said.
Further he noted that a space to be used as a transition or decontamination area for staff was identified. However, he did not say whether that area was up and running.
A total of 11 Palms residents and one patient care assistant have been confirmed as COVID-19 positive. Two of those residents have died. In light of the outbreak a number of concerns were raised as it related to contact tracing and testing of residents and staff members at the home along with the measures in place to protect those residents and staff members.
