Housing, transportation for healthcare workers dealing with COVID-19 patients

The Ministry of Public Health is putting measures in place to protect healthcare workers who are dealing with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Karen Boyle in an update on Friday noted that the Ministry is working along with the Ministry of Communities to provide transportation for all healthcare workers to travel to and from their place of work.

The housing, however, will only be provided for those who are dealing directly with COVID-19 patients.

“The Ministry is [also] looking for provision of housing for those health workers dealing with critical persons so as to reduce the risk of infecting their family members.”

Dr Boyle added that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is being distributed to each nurse and other healthcare workers.

Earlier in the week, Chief Executive Officer of the Georgetown Public Hospital retired brigadier George Lewis said the staff of the institution are being discriminated against when they attempt to use private transportation or visit supermarkets and other areas.

He reminded that healthcare workers are important in the fight against COVID-19 and urge persons to stop the discrimination.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Health will on Sunday launch a mobile application for persons to “self-test” for the COVID-19.

Information placed into the app will be fed directly to the Ministry’s surveillance team, according to Dr Boyle.

“Persons who fit any scenarios previously highlighted will be contacted by the surveillance team,” Dr Boyle said.

The app will be launched on NCN television and radio.

As of April 3, a total of 83 persons tested for COVID-19 which resulted in 23 positive cases and 59 negative cases.

The number of deaths remains at four.

There are 34 persons are in institutional quarantine, 12 in institutional isolation and 149 persons are in home quarantine.

However, Dr Boyle said, “persons placed on home quarantine are refusing to adhere to instructions or recommendations given by surveillance officers or are downright refusing to go on quarantine.”

She urged all Guyanese to be responsible and to take this situation seriously.

“Everyone is at risk of contracting this disease. Therefore, the Ministry is begging you to do your part,” she added.