Courts donates $6.5M COVID-19 bus

Courts Guyana on Thursday donated a $6.5M bus to the Ministry of Public Health to support its fight against the deadly new coronavirus.

According to the Director for Health and Emergency Operations, Dr Leston Payne, the bus will only be used by the COVID-19 Rapid Response Team.

He explained that if someone contacts the Ministry’s hotline number about an urgent situation, then the Rapid Response Team will be able to reach that person in a timely manner. He said the team is well trained and prepared.

“This would definitely aid our efforts in containing and mitigating the spread of this dreaded pandemic, we intend to use this donation to bolster our efforts in terms of our Rapid Response teams that would aid everyone,” Dr Payne said at the handing over ceremony held at Court’s Main Street, Georgetown branch.

Dr Payne highlighted that the bus will have to be retro-fitted for additional features to perform emergency procedures if needed.

“If urgent testing is needed, personnel would go on the bus and find the patient,” Dr Payne said.

He explained that the bus will also be used to treat other emergencies and not just COVID-19 patients. It should be noted that the bus will only be utilized in Region Four.

“The Minister of Health can use all the help that they need to keep this disease under control so it doesn’t get out of hand and we hope that with this gesture we can bolster the work of the Ministry,” said Managing Director for Courts Guyana, Clyde De Haas.