COVID-19 survivor puts ‘rumours’ to rest
One of the hospital’s wards
One of the hospital’s wards

-says she got ‘good treatment’ during 10-day stay at Liliendaal facility

GIVEN all of the “rumours” surrounding the treatment rendered at the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, one 57-year-old woman who recently spent 10 days at the facility recovering from COVID-19 wanted to set the record straight and has insisted that there is nothing to fear.

Though she has asked that her identity not be revealed, the mother of six does want to share her experience. By doing so, she hopes that it could prevent others from having the kind of anxiety she had when she found out she had been tested positive and had to be admitted to the facility which is often referred to as the COVID hospital.

One of the meals shared to COVID-19 patients at the Infectious Diseases Hospital

“From my experience I can tell people the Oceanview hospital is a nice place… You are relaxed, you are treated well, you are fed well. You can talk to your doctors if you have any doubts, or any fears,” she said during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Friday.
She recalled that from the time she arrived at the hospital on September 9, she found everything about the facility to be the exact opposite of what she had been hearing over the past few months.

“It was way off from what I was hearing. From the moment I got out of the ambulance and the attendants put me in a wheelchair to take me up to the ward, the good treatment started then…From then until I was discharged I never had not even one second of bad treatment, neglect or anything like that,” she shared.

The East Bank Demerara woman was released from the hospital on September 18, and though she now sings nothing but praises for the staff at the facility and the treatment she got, her opinion is a far cry from how she felt before she was admitted.

“I was just so worried that if I go in, I might not come out alive. I was scared because of all the rumors, the one that stood out for me is that ‘when you go there you die,’ and how they got people lying down in the corridors, how you have nurses treat you bad, they don’t give you good food and all of that. That in itself sparked a lot of fear in me,” she explained.

But more than just coming out alive, she shared that she got one of the best hospital experiences she has ever had, all things considered.
While sharing a few photographs of the facility taken during her stay, she said that she was most impressed with how clean the hospital was and the quality of the food that was being given to patients.

“People talk about the place being dirty and not good food, all of those are rumors. They’re not true,” she added.
She is calling on other Guyanese to not be afraid of getting tested and to stop trying home remedies for their symptoms, because of the fear which had resulted from the rumours and misinformation being spread about the facility.

Commissioned in July 2020, the $1.6 billion hospital was established at the site of the former Ocean View Hotel to house persons who had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

The COVID-19 survivor said it was a total shock for her when she tested positive for the virus. She recalled that she decided to get tested after she started to develop breathing issues. She took a COVID-19 test at the Herstelling Health Centre, but before she could get the results her symptoms worsened.

She was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) and was immediately admitted. A second test was administered and when the result came back positive, she was transferred to the Liliendaal facility.
“I was admitted right away, and the fight was for me to breathe. I had no time to think about what would happen. All I wanted to do was survive,” she shared.

She said the whole experience was a traumatic one, particularly for her children.
“It’s still affecting them onto now. It was traumatic for everyone because I have been a single mom for a long time and have not been anywhere far from my kids for any amount of time. So, when I was admitted into the hospital, that was a little worrisome for them,” she said.

Now that she is back home, she said the focus has been on “taking it easy” and regaining her full strength, following which she hopes to take one of the COVID-19 vaccines.

Due to a previous medical condition, she was awaiting her doctor’s clearance before being vaccinated. She had gotten the go ahead a few days before she tested positive.

Now she is looking forward to getting herself protected against the virus.
“My doctor told me when I’m strong enough, then I can go and get it done. I just want to build myself a little more because COVID-19 has taken a lot from me, healthwise. I’m going to wait another week to build myself enough and then go,” she said.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All our printed editions are available online
emblem3
Subscribe to the Guyana Chronicle.
Sign up to receive news and updates.
We respect your privacy.