IN an effort to enhance the Ministry of Public Health’s capacity to combat the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), Unicommer Guyana, the parent company of Courts Guyana, has donated a $6.5 million emergency response bus to the health authorities.

Unicomer had engaged the public health ministry on ways which the company can contribute to the fight against the COVID-19 disease, and the ministry specifically asked for assistance with transportation.

“We had a bus, which we had plans for but we deferred those plans…we discussed with the ministry of health about the assistance required and they said transportation…as we were not using the bus for now, we decided to help out,” said Managing Director of Unicomer Guyana, Clyde De Haas in an invited comment, on Thursday.

The bus was retrofitted to the specifications of the public health ministry and was in the end transformed into an emergency response vehicle.

While the contribution is timely and is expected to go a far way in boosting the ministry’s capacity, De Haas said the private sector has a very important role to play in the fight against COVID-19.

“The private sector’s role is very important…we have an opportunity here to restrict the spread of COVID-19 through social distancing and other measures such as the stay-home orders which are aimed at stopping the spread and flattening the curve,” he said.
Businesses are doing their bit in terms of adhering to the “stay-home” order, but he believes that where there are means, the private sector should also assist. He acknowledged the slowdown in business, but reiterated that the private sector should try their best to assist in any way possible.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the newly discovered coronavirus. WHO said most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment. Older persons and those with underlying medical problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer, are more likely to develop serious illnesses.

The WHO believes that the best way to prevent and slow down transmission is to be well informed about the virus, the disease it causes and how it is spread.

“Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol-based rub frequently and not touching your face. The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practise respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow),” the WHO has advised.