EPI surveillance commences for Carifesta X

Aug 18, 2008 News

The Ministry of Health’s epidemiology surveillance team has begun a bolstered surveillance operation with the aim of detecting infectious diseases that may occur countrywide.

The intensified operation, which became operable last Monday, has been set in motion to monitor Carifesta X, and has since seen officials from both the private and public sector institutions, as well as doctors who operate privately, providing the Ministry of Health with a daily update of surveillance results.

Dr Persaud, during a recent interview, informed this newspaper that monitoring would begin this week and will continue even after it concludes, with a view to garnering a sense of the actual situation. Among the public facilities that were targeted from the inception to support the surveillance process were the: Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, New Amsterdam Suddie and Linden Hospitals, as well as the West Demerara Regional Hospital.

Major private hospitals, such as the St Joseph Mercy and Davis Memorial, among others, are supporting the venture as well, Dr Persaud revealed.

According to Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy, surveillance of infectious diseases is a continuous activity by the ministry. He pointed out, however, that during big events like the upcoming Carifesta X, the surveillance process is usually amplified.

He said that a similar mode was engaged when Guyana hosted a segment of the Cricket World Cup in 2006, but he noted that it is likely that the current surveillance team will be further boosted this year.

He pointed out that it is possible that medical students that have returned from Cuba to complete their final year may volunteer their skills to the surveillance team.

The minister asserted that while they are not yet doctors, there are some areas in which they could be of significant assistance.

Symptoms such as those that are common to the flu, fever with rashes, bleeding, gastroenteritis and other infectious diseases’ indicators are the primary signs that surveillance officers will be looking for.

And since the reports of the medical situation will be forwarded to the ministry on a daily basis, speedy action will be taken to ensure that any outbreak is contained, according to Dr Persaud.

Dr Persaud said that should any signs or symptoms of any infectious disease be detected, the services of the recently commissioned National Public Health Institute, located in the Georgetown Public Hospital Compound, will come into play.

He said that at the moment Guyana is capable of testing water, food particles and other materials, but he noted that all other tests that cannot be done here will be transferred to the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC) in Trinidad.