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A TEAM dispatched from the Ministry of Health in Georgetown, responding to a diarrhoeal outbreak in the most remote of Amerindian communities in Region 9 (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo), has been able to contain the situation.
Minister of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran received the report, when he made contact, via Skype on Monday, with the emergency response medical personnel currently in the Wai Wai community of Masakenari.
Headed by Dr. Arbib Goddett and including other health care professionals, representatives from the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), they arrived in the area last Saturday.
Epidemiologist, Dr. Maurice Edwards was with Minister Ramsaran when the two communicated with the group at Masakenari.
The minister told the Guyana Chronicle, yesterday, that his ministry hired three aircraft to airlift the team with large quantities of medicines and medical supplies, along with food and other items to support them.
The supplies include a massive amount of bleach and water treatment (chlorine) tablets.
During the Skype communication, Dr. Goddett disclosed that a child, who was being treated, had experienced a relapse and they conducted blood tests and diagnosed that the patient is also suffering from dengue.
That child and a 72-year-old cancer sufferer were expected to be flown out of the community today in company with Dr. Goddett who is being replaced by Dr. Rajiv Singh.
Also with the minister for the Skype conversation, conducted from his office, were Dr. Monica Odwin, Director of Regional Health Services and Mr. Michael Gouveia, Coordinator of Indigenous Communities.
Quick response
The Masakenari participants included Toshao Paul Chekema, who thanked the ministry for the quick response by the medical professionals with various relevant competencies. Among them were medical laboratory and surveillance and vector control personnel.
Chekema described the evolution of the outbreak and identified several needs of the community in the efforts to suppress it and prevent a recurrence.
Minister Ramsaran noted that the action would require the inputs of other ministries and agencies, such as the Ministry of Housing and Water.
He expressed the opinion that large black tanks and the support plumbing network would be required to ensure that the community enjoys a sustainably safe supply of water.
The minister, on Monday, instructed his staff to, immediately, engage the Ministry of Housing and Water for the purpose.
The Goddett team found that the community’s well was porous and Ramsaran said, on the next flight, cement will be sent to seal it.
Meanwhile, Gouveia said he succeeded in his endeavours with the Ministry of Housing and Water to secure black tanks and materials (including several sacks of cement) to repair the well and they are to be flown to the community today.
The Health Ministry has committed to keeping a team in the community, at least for the next month, and to have a continuous daily Skype connection.
Ramsaran made a commitment to send additional insecticide treated bed nets for the residents of the village, formerly called Konashen and Gunns Strip – particularly those who are below five years old and pregnant women since they are the most vulnerable.
He also instructed that several spray cans and insecticides be sent, along with personnel to train the community in their safe and correct use.
The minister advised the medical team to work closely with Toshao Chekema to select several able-bodied youths for training to safely and effectively spray the community.
Breeding grounds
He also requested them to look for the mosquitoes breeding grounds, so that they can be eradicated. Towards that end, the ministry will be sending six garbage bins and a quantity of disposal bags for the school and health hut.
Importantly, the team now at the location indicated that they carried out house to house visits to inform the residents about proper hygiene and waste disposal and conducted a community meeting and interacted with every grade at the village school.
To ensure there is purified water available for the children, Ramsaran assured that containers, too, will be sent for the school on the next flight.
There are 242 people residing in the community, including 43 children under five years old and four pregnant women.
One child in the village has died as a result of the outbreak and a post-mortem was performed by a pathologist flown into the community by the Health Ministry.
While the results are pending, Minister Ramsaran explained that this action had put the ministry in good standing in relation to the legislative requirements governing the reporting of under-five deaths in Guyana.
The child was being treated with herbal medicines at the height of the illness.
The ministry will continue to closely monitor the situation in the historic Wai-Wai village.
Meantime, the minister assured that there is no outbreak of dengue fever in the city.
Although no such reports have been received, they will, however, continue to keep ears open, he said.
Minister of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran received the report, when he made contact, via Skype on Monday, with the emergency response medical personnel currently in the Wai Wai community of Masakenari.
Headed by Dr. Arbib Goddett and including other health care professionals, representatives from the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), they arrived in the area last Saturday.Epidemiologist, Dr. Maurice Edwards was with Minister Ramsaran when the two communicated with the group at Masakenari.
The minister told the Guyana Chronicle, yesterday, that his ministry hired three aircraft to airlift the team with large quantities of medicines and medical supplies, along with food and other items to support them.
The supplies include a massive amount of bleach and water treatment (chlorine) tablets.
During the Skype communication, Dr. Goddett disclosed that a child, who was being treated, had experienced a relapse and they conducted blood tests and diagnosed that the patient is also suffering from dengue.
That child and a 72-year-old cancer sufferer were expected to be flown out of the community today in company with Dr. Goddett who is being replaced by Dr. Rajiv Singh.
Also with the minister for the Skype conversation, conducted from his office, were Dr. Monica Odwin, Director of Regional Health Services and Mr. Michael Gouveia, Coordinator of Indigenous Communities.
Quick response
The Masakenari participants included Toshao Paul Chekema, who thanked the ministry for the quick response by the medical professionals with various relevant competencies. Among them were medical laboratory and surveillance and vector control personnel.
Chekema described the evolution of the outbreak and identified several needs of the community in the efforts to suppress it and prevent a recurrence.
Minister Ramsaran noted that the action would require the inputs of other ministries and agencies, such as the Ministry of Housing and Water.
He expressed the opinion that large black tanks and the support plumbing network would be required to ensure that the community enjoys a sustainably safe supply of water.
The minister, on Monday, instructed his staff to, immediately, engage the Ministry of Housing and Water for the purpose.
The Goddett team found that the community’s well was porous and Ramsaran said, on the next flight, cement will be sent to seal it.
Meanwhile, Gouveia said he succeeded in his endeavours with the Ministry of Housing and Water to secure black tanks and materials (including several sacks of cement) to repair the well and they are to be flown to the community today.
The Health Ministry has committed to keeping a team in the community, at least for the next month, and to have a continuous daily Skype connection.
Ramsaran made a commitment to send additional insecticide treated bed nets for the residents of the village, formerly called Konashen and Gunns Strip – particularly those who are below five years old and pregnant women since they are the most vulnerable.
He also instructed that several spray cans and insecticides be sent, along with personnel to train the community in their safe and correct use.
The minister advised the medical team to work closely with Toshao Chekema to select several able-bodied youths for training to safely and effectively spray the community.
Breeding grounds
He also requested them to look for the mosquitoes breeding grounds, so that they can be eradicated. Towards that end, the ministry will be sending six garbage bins and a quantity of disposal bags for the school and health hut.
Importantly, the team now at the location indicated that they carried out house to house visits to inform the residents about proper hygiene and waste disposal and conducted a community meeting and interacted with every grade at the village school.
To ensure there is purified water available for the children, Ramsaran assured that containers, too, will be sent for the school on the next flight.
There are 242 people residing in the community, including 43 children under five years old and four pregnant women.
One child in the village has died as a result of the outbreak and a post-mortem was performed by a pathologist flown into the community by the Health Ministry.
While the results are pending, Minister Ramsaran explained that this action had put the ministry in good standing in relation to the legislative requirements governing the reporting of under-five deaths in Guyana.
The child was being treated with herbal medicines at the height of the illness.
The ministry will continue to closely monitor the situation in the historic Wai-Wai village.
Meantime, the minister assured that there is no outbreak of dengue fever in the city.
Although no such reports have been received, they will, however, continue to keep ears open, he said.
