–says Health Minister

CONTENDING that local health authorities were able to adequately manage and respond to the needs of residents in the wake of countrywide flooding, Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony has said that no serious illnesses or cases of water-borne diseases have been recorded.
During his daily COVID-19 update on Thursday, the Health Minister said that while there were some reported cases of mild diarrhea, the health system was not overwhelmed.
The minister related that at the height of the floods, the local health authorities were on high alert for infections, especially among children.
“As you would know, during this period, while I might say more than half of the population were at risk for these flooded waters, we didn’t have any case of drowning; we didn’t have any outbreaks of any sorts. We were on the lookout for acute diarrheal diseases, especially among children,” Dr. Anthony said.
He reiterated that while there were a few reports of diarrhea, the local authorities were able to quickly respond to those who contracted the viral infection.

“While we had a few cases of those, it wasn’t anything that was overwhelming, so I think given all the challenges that we currently have rolling out vaccination and looking at other things and so forth, the health system performed relatively well, and I would want to acknowledge the work that the nurses and doctors and other professionals in the health system would have done in the various regions to make sure that people stay safe,” Dr. Anthony said.
The minister also noted that the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), in a preliminary report, recommended that additional action be taken to be better prepared for any instances of a similar disaster in the future. “They have suggested some additional actions in the future that perhaps the Health Ministry can undertake, and we will review those recommendations when we get them to see how we can implement them. But, by and large, I think the health sector performed well,” Dr. Anthony related.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) reported that due to moderately improved weather conditions and drainage of lands, the floodwaters have begun to recede across the country. However, given the extent of the flooding, there still remains some amount of water in some communities.