A crisis that needs all hands on deck

Sep 06, 2020 Features / Columnists, News, The Story within the Story

The Story Within The Story…

By Leonard Gildarie

Last week was interesting. I am locked down after testing positive for the COVID-19 virus. The news came last Monday, August 31st, after testing on August 19th.
The lateness was because of the increased number of tests being conducted by the new administration that ran into a brick wall when it came to capacity to analyze those tests.
Guyana is working overtime with one machine with an order approved for another one. Up to late last week, Guyana had over 1,000 tests in backlog with almost 300 being done daily.
About 500 were sent to a regional body in Trinidad to assist in the reducing of the backlog with the results expected this weekend.
I say the above to underscore the touch and go situation we are facing. We have a rising number of cases. So far, Guyana has recorded over 1,400 cases with 46 deaths.
We are fast running out of space in the hospitals and positive cases are being given options to stay home.
The frontline workers are overwhelmed, overstaffed and can barely keep up with the rising cases.
More women are testing positive than men with Friday’s stats showing 720.
Across the globe, over 26 million people would have tested positive.
In Guyana, the regional cases would tell a stark tale. While Region Four, where the capital city is, had 522 cases, it is the border areas that should be worrying.
As expected, Region Nine recorded 243 cases. That would be of no surprise because of that region’s proximity to Brazil which has been devastated by the virus and second only to the US in the number of cases worldwide. Brazil has about four million cases with 123,000 deaths.
Region Seven would be deeply worrying because it is where mining is taking place. There is an influx of foreigners there, it has been reported, and there is a worrisome non-compliance of wearing of masks and a criminal, cavalier attitude to social distancing.
That region has 231 cases.
Region One also has high numbers with 200 cases. Venezuela is right next door and the wide-open borders, similar to Region Nine, have been stumping police and other authorities.
We simply have a situation that is pointing to continued closure of the airports and borders.
The arrival of another PCR testing machine will assist but it would not help the situation if the general populace, police and other frontline workers treat the pandemic as if it is happening elsewhere.
The death this past week of Dr. Seepersaud ‘Bram’ Chatterdeo, a well-known pediatrician, has shocked the medical field and those that knew him.
There is controversy over the cause of death with reports saying it is COVID-19.
A doctor who was that well-known would naturally spark concerns.
It has driven home the harsh reality that no one is immune and more so doctors on the frontline.
We have seen a number of prominent Guyanese who died from the virus and everyone has struck me in the gut.
We can ill-afford to lose anyone of our people.
Dr. Chatterdeo, like so many others, was in the prime of his life.
Yet we see the madness on the road and about the place. The message about masks has not being delivered.
People still believe that it is something that happens in Georgetown.
Let me repeat. Our attitude is what will see this country continue to remain in limbo and chalking up the rising numbers.
The worrying thing is that there is no immediate requirement that compels us to test again after the first test would have found us positive.
We are too overwhelmed.
I am deeply worried by the developments.
I pray for a change in attitude.
Almost all of our resources that could have been used for improving the lives of our people are being pushed into the COVID-19 fight.
It will remain so for a while.
If the current situation is not a clarion call for action, then nothing is.
It has emerged as one of the single biggest challenges that this country and the world have faced in recent years.
How we rise to the challenge and how quickly we overcome depends on our will.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News