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Vector Services begin work at Ogle airport
As part of its mandate to expand its reach across Guyana, the Vector Control Services began functioning at the Ogle International Airport yesterday.
Dr. Reyaud Rahman, Director of the Vector Control Services
This is according to VCS Director Dr. Reyaud Rahman who said the organisation had been working on the airport facility since January.
Rahman said the plan is to have full-time staff stationed at the airport to take smears of persons who have symptoms and who are going to endemic areas.
He explained that the facility has seen the VCS collaborating with the port health office at the airport. He said, too, he is hoping the collaboration will extend to other sections of the airport to allow better monitoring of the disease.
He admitted that logistical issues such as a work schedule are yet to be solved. So far, the VCS have not worked out a weekend time. However, staffers are available in the mornings and afternoons and will work on a shift system.
“For now, we’re looking to make it as convenient as possible,” Dr. Rahman said.
He said that the VCS is working towards setting up strategic facilities at ports of entries into endemic regions. He identified regions 8 and 9 as areas of interest.
“We know for a fact that Guyana is very diverse and we know how it is, but at the end of the day you have to use roads here or airports there,” Rahman noted. He continued, “Our proposal is to ensure that we secure funding to build facilities in these areas. The point is that we’ll capture those who are passing; we’ll have personnel there and all the facilities there.”
Rahman explained that it is perfunctory for persons entering into the interior to stop, report to the police station and register their names before proceeding. He said too, that the police can play major roles in facilitating this plan by stopping travelers and allowing the VCS to conduct blood smears.
“These are some of the strategies that we think can basically drive malaria cases down to the ground,” he added.
Rahman said he anticipates that malaria cases will drop to less than 1,000 in 3 to 5 years if VCS can improve its monitoring, funding, surveillance, stakeholders’ cooperation on the new initiatives.
“That’s something that has never been done in Guyana but it is realistic; we can do this but we need the support. Once we get that it makes everybody’s lives better,” Rahman said.
Meanwhile, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has indicated its support of the VCS by offering personnel to conduct activities in endemic areas.
Rahman had said that manpower had been one of the main issues plaguing the VCS’s work. He emphasised the importance of conducting mass smears and noted that this could only be done with more personnel on board.
“We have vehicles to some extent, we have fuel to some extent, but having the personnel is what beats us. We need to get tests done on people as much as we can through the endemic regions,” he said.
In return, a GDF doctor had indicated that there are a few soldiers available who could be utilized by the VCS. He also said more soldiers could be made available. However, he noted that these soldiers needed to be trained. He said too, the GDF would be happy to assist in allowing dedicated troops to vector control.
The vector services and the GDF are planning on working together to organise a schedule for the training of these troops.
This offer was made last week by a doctor attached to the GDF and Dr. Rahman yesterday indicated that the two bodies have already begun working together.
Rahman said plans are underway to kick these operations in the interior off as early as next week. He added that they are working out the number of available soldiers.
The VCS also works closely with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and is hoping others will volunteer their services to expand the reach.
VCS will continue its efforts this year and will head into region 7 next week. According to Dr. Rahman, the organisation is aiming towards conducting 250,000 blood smears this year.
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