— facility to become isolation centre

AS cases of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) continue to increase, government will be looking to activate the controversial $1.6 billion Infectious Diseases Hospital, as an isolation centre with 55 beds.

It was reported that the hospital, which was commissioned by the former A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) administration, has glaring inefficiencies, but Vice-President, Bharrat Jagdeo, had said taxpayers’ money cannot be wasted.
As such, government is looking to use the facility for quarantining purposes.

The former government had said the new facility, which was established at the site of the former Ocean View Hotel, will serve as the first all-inclusive infectious diseases facility, and would eventually remove the constraints from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and the regional and district hospitals.
It was reported that the facility has a capacity for 190 beds and also caters for laboratories, a pharmacy, an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), an operating theatre and even a mortuary. A section of the facility was also set to house the Health Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC), a surveillance centre, a research centre and administrative offices.

A closer examination of the facility by the new People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government revealed major inefficiencies in not just the physical aspect of the project, but also the deal between the former government and the owner of the former hotel, Jacob Rambarran.
In highlighting some of those inefficiencies, Vice-President, Bharrat Jagdeo, said there is no flow of air in the facility, so there is a possibility of everyone becoming infected. There is also no provision for oxygen in the wall, and the Audit Office, in a past inspection, had found mold in the building.
“The government (APNU+AFC) spent $1.6 billion of taxpayers’ money, so we have to put the building to use, even if not for the type of purpose they intend,” said the vice-president.

And, considering the consistent rise in cases over the past few days, Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, said government is exploring the possibility of installing 55 beds.

FREE UP SPACE
If government is able to install those beds, it will “free up” space at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), which is not only the main treatment facility for COVID-19, but also the premier facility for treating other ailments.
The current state of the Ocean View hospital inhibits authorities from establishing an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) there, but Dr. Anthony said once the 55 beds are up and running, the milder cases of the disease will be catered for.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a newly-discovered coronavirus. Most people, who fall sick with COVID-19, will experience mild to moderate symptoms and recover without special treatment. There are, however, vulnerable groups such as persons with underlying conditions and elderly patients, who may develop the severe forms of the disease.
If persons, who are being treated at the COVID-19 hospital, show severe symptoms, they will be transferred to GPHC.
Even as authorities are mulling the use of the COVID-19 hospital, Dr. Anthony said other regional facilities are being evaluated and assessed, to ascertain how they can be used in the fight against COVID-19.

The idea to establish a special COVID-19 facility was put to government by the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) after a new study found that Guyana could have as many as 20,000 COVID-19 cases in a month.

The Ministry of Public Health, using the PAHO/WHO method, had initially projected 1,400 cases, but a recent study done by PAHO/WHO found that, with every case, another 2.5 persons will be affected within five days, if there is no partial lockdown, and if persons do not exercise effective social distancing.
“That 2.5, if I infect you, you infect 2.5 others and they infect another 2.5. Within a month we will get over 20,000; it’s a simple model but it makes a lot of sense,” said PAHO/WHO Resident Representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow, in a previous News Room report.

And should this happen, Dr. Adu-Krow said five per cent or 1,000 of those infected would need intensive care, and Guyana simply does not have the capacity for this.
Guyana has so far recorded 944 cases of COVID- 19, with the deaths related to COVID-19 remaining at 31.