PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar yesterday met with several stakeholders from different sectors to address Guyana’s Ebola preparedness plan.

Included in yesterday’s meeting at the Office of the President, Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown, were: the Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon; Minister of Health, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran; Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud; Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Georgetown Public Hospital, Mr. Michael Khan; Commissioner of Police, Mr. Seelall Persaud; Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony; and Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn, among others.
The President, in a recent address to the nation, assured that a proactive approach to ensure the deadly Ebola virus does not affect the Guyanese population has been adopted by the Government of Guyana.
According to him, several measures have already been put in place to address this major public health concern. “We have already taken steps in that direction,” he said.
These include:
* The restriction on the issuance of visas to residents from a number of West African countries;
* The issuance of advisories to all Guyanese to avoid travelling to those destinations that are under surveillance for Ebola, for the time being. In this case, if Guyanese have travelled to such destinations they are required to indicate so;
* The increased surveillance at ports of entry, as well as more thorough screening at these ports. In this regard, the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and Ogle Airport Authorities, the Ministries of Works and Health have been working closely to monitor the arriving passengers;
* The installation of modern equipment to raise the effectiveness of this exercise;
* The procurement of additional medical supplies, including more protective gear, gloves, etc. to ensure that Guyana is prepared to deal with possible Ebola cases; and
* The identification of retention centres, to be used for quarantine and monitoring of suspected cases, among others.
“In the event of the discovery of suspected cases, the Public Health responses have been organised. Suspected arriving passengers will be quarantined at holding centres at Ports of Entry. Elsewhere, suspected persons, if hospitalised would be cared for under conditions of strict isolation. Larger population of suspected cases would be mandatorily quarantined at identified facilities established in the country,” the President has said.
He also stressed that Guyana has to take preventative and curative measures to protect our people. “If, per chance, this disease reaches our shores we must be prepared to limit its effect to contain and bring it under control as fast as possible,” he committed.

(Vanessa Narine)