The approximately $1.6 billion Centre for Disease Control and Prevention which has been the source of major controversy in recent months was yesterday morning commissioned by caretaker President David Granger.
The facility located at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, was the site of the former Ocean View Hotel which the government had earmarked in April to be transformed into a COVID-19 hospital and later serve as an infectious diseases centre.
During the commissioning of the facility, de facto Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence stated that the commissioning marks a significant day for Guyana’s health sector as it heralds a change in the trajectory in the sector in terms of how epidemics, outbreaks and other health-related issues will be addressed. Lawrence during her opening remarks stated that the facility reflects the “will and resolve of the Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Public Health to be proactive rather than reactive.”
The minister added that work had already begun prior to Guyana recording its first imported case and death on March 11. However like other countries globally, the country faced the immediate challenges of surveillance, contact tracing, procuring protective gear, and providing isolation facilities. She acknowledged that Guyana lacked capacity to handle any outbreak with just approximately 1,684 hospital beds distributed among Guyana’s ten administrative regions and noted that these facilities lacked intensive care units to provide respiratory support.
“Due to these challenges in the current health system’s capacity it was deemed necessary and beneficial for the country to have a designated facility for any surges in patient load caused by the current COVID-19 situation,” Lawrence declared. She added that for the country it is the first “all-inclusive” infectious facility which it is felt will rid tertiary health institutions and regional and district hospitals of the constraints as they do not have the necessary capacities or facilities to address COVID-19.
The public health minister said that she envisions that after COVID-19, the facility will be used to address a number of issues and other outbreaks and even allow for research. According to Lawrence, the facility is equipped to function as a surveillance centre and the Health Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC) and administrative offices are all expected to work in tandem with the Regional HEOC’s.
Giving the feature address at the commissioning, Granger noted that yesterday marked 141 days since the death of Guyana’s index case of COVID-19 and made mention of the 20 Guyanese who have died as a result of the virus. The president went on to say that the day will be “etched in Guyana’s medical memory” as it is the day which demonstrates the government’s determination to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have, today, made an irreversible decision to employ our personnel and deploy our resources to protect our population from disease and to promote public health” President Granger declared.
The establishment of the infectious diseases hospital, he said, represents the urgent investment in safeguarding the health of the citizenry not just for COVID-19 but also against possible future epidemics.
Giving a brief overview, Granger stated that within hours of the death of ‘patient zero’, the National Coronavirus Task Force was established and an extraordinary issue of the official gazette was published to publicize a number of measures based on the Public Health Ordinance Act for the enforcement of those measures.
Granger remarked that the establishment of the facility is part of the government’s national response to the pandemic. He noted that the model developed by the government for the country’s response made for the requirement of the accommodation of 197 patients in intensive care at any one time.
“This institution is strategic. It will be used primarily for COVID-19 patients but, eventually, will become a fully-specialised communicable disease hospital. It is an important step forward towards protecting our people from epidemic disease,” Granger stated, while adding that it is preferred that infectious patients be isolated from the general hospital population in an attempt to reduce the risk of transmission.
Granger urged persons to adhere to the COVID-19 protective measures and expressed optimism that Guyana will win the fight against COVID-19 and any other communicable disease. “These diseases, unfortunately, are not expected to disappear completely. The country’s public health systems, therefore, must never be found deficient in responding to emerging communicable diseases.”
Stabroek News was not extended an invitation to the opening ceremony of the infectious diseases hospital. When this newspaper visited the facility, officials from the Ministry of Public Health who were still on site following the opening ceremony gave Stabroek News a tour of the facility. It was observed that it was not yet fully equipped to house patients. However, one official explained that in order to facilitate the tour for those who were present earlier, a decision was made not to place all the beds and other equipment in the hospital.
The hospital is equipped with a transition facility for patients, quarantine and isolation sections, and an intensive care unit. It also boasts an operating theatre for those patients who may need emergency surgery. On the walk-through it was also observed that there was a special section designated for dialysis treatment. The official explained that it is necessary to have that kind of equipment available in the facility for patients who may be in need of it.
A decontamination unit is also present to ensure the safety of health workers when they enter the facility. Also strategically placed around the infectious diseases hospital were ultraviolet lights which are capable of neutralising pathogens and the virus. Hospital staff will be able to monitor patients with the use of CCTV cameras.
It was not made clear or announced when the facility will be fully operational and begin permanent intake of patients, however, some time back it was disclosed that a number of persons were already quarantined at the facility.
Since the initial announcement of the Ocean View Hotel being transformed into a hospital, a number of questions were raised as to the overall cost for the rehabilitation of the facility, the transparency of the procurement processes, safety of the structure, and its possible vulnerability to overtopping of the sea defence. Recently it was announced that the Audit Office of Guyana was in the first stage of auditing COVID-19 spending by the government.
