Fighting COVID-19 requires unprecedented expenditure – President Granger

Apr 14, 2020 News

– calls on nation to support healthcare workers

The effort to fight COVID-19 requires unprecedented expenditure and outlay of resources.

resident David Granger

This is according to President David Granger in his most recent message to the nation regarding the disease. According to the President, these resources will help enable identification and testing, isolation, protection and treatment of persons affected by the disease.
He sought to highlight too that “We are becoming better prepared to provide proper personal protective equipment for the medical staff doing the testing and treatment tests and the materials and equipment such as beds, respirators and ventilators for those who become critically afflicted.”
The President said too that “the capacity for infrastructural and institutional accommodation is being expanded. Persons who become ill should have access to the best care in the shortest possible time, to ensure their recovery and rehabilitation. The national focus, understandably, is on those who have been infected and afflicted.”
President Granger also echoed the appeal to the public to exercise caution in their day- to -day activities as the nation strives to eradicate the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus.
One month since the disease claimed the life of the first Guyanese, the President in message to the masses appealed for citizens and residents to show their support to the health sector in tackling the disease.
The President noted that, as at last weekend, Guyana recorded six fatalities; 45 positive cases of which 31 are in isolation, 13 in quarantine and eight persons have recovered.
“I am happy to learn of the recovery of those eight persons and I wish the others a speedy recovery,” Granger said.
However, he said that the public health system and medical staff cannot overcome this disease on their own. They need the support of the entire population.
“The public has been instructed to ‘stay at home’, in physical isolation, but our health professionals are required to leave their homes and families, daily, to work in the health centres, hospitals quarantine stations and other institutions do their part to combat the disease,” he said.
Even as he implored all Guyanese and residents to adhere to the emergency measures published in the Official Gazette, the President urged the public to think tenderly of the public health professionals and service providers.
“I ask also that people of faith join me in prayer, from the comfort of their homes, at this sacred Easter Festival for the safety and well-being of our unsung doctors and nurses and other health workers…
Every day, they report for duty to work in conditions that could be dangerous to their own health and safety. Let us all think about these public servants and employees in private institutions who are putting their lives on the line,” he said.
“The Public health practitioners are on the frontline of protecting those stricken by the disease. They have been working tirelessly through this very difficult situation to provide quality healthcare to those who have been infected and afflicted.
Everyone in the public health system has played a vital part in the fight against this disease,” the President emphasized.
As he impressed on all Guyanese to continue to support frontline workers, the President said, “They are the sinews of our health services. We must protect and respect them. We are eternally grateful for their exertions during these trying times. Their dedication is valued.”
The President was also keen to note that the path ahead for the local public health sector may be a difficult one before the nation defeats the disease.