Guyanese have undermined the health care system

Jan 14, 2022 Letters

---

Dear Editor,

Kaieteur News – Welcome to the new year, ringing in 2022 and bidding goodbye to 2021, a year of more frustration and less determination. The year is already two weeks old and the hustle and bustle of the way of life in Guyana has already taken birth, growing daily as nurtured by Guyanese blood, sweat and tears. This year, Guyanese are suffering from a terrible hangover, no, not from mixed drinks and/or drinking too much, but from a continuing problem, which began since the beginning of 2020. You guessed right, yes, it’s the COVID-19 virus, a pandemic that has castrated the world at large from being progressively productive to being counterproductive in many respects and areas. Guyana was not spared from the plague. In fact, this nation saw a tremendous escalation in the number of new cases tested positive.
The holiday season was a period when most Guyanese took to the fun and frolic of celebrating Christmas, Boxing Day, old and New Year’s Day with the pomp and sagacity of a tradition, too hard to break away from and too important not to be observed. Most, if not all COVID-19 protocols were overlooked, abandoned or ignored, placing less emphasis on safety and security and more on festivity and joviality. As a result, most Guyanese let down their guard momentarily and pretended that all’s well and nothing will happen and, encouraged rather than discouraged the blatant disregard for protective and preventive measures. This carefree, cavalier and careless cajoling at the end of the year was a compromising contrast when comparing the concerned, careful and conscious connectivity at the beginning of the year. This irresponsible behaviour has produced a devastating effect on the entire nation, including employers, employees, families and medical personnel, who are paying a high toll for this callous act. There has been a tremendous surge as evidenced by employee’s absence and ultimately being tested positive for COVID-19. In the US, Reuters reported a record breaking 132,646 people hospitalised with COVID. The US is even advising against travelling to neighbouring Canada as a result of the high impact in that country also. Europe is no way any different.
To complement this nefarious lapse, the Coronavirus disease took a turn for the worse when Omicron was presented as a gift to the world through the generosity of Santa Claus. This contagious infection submerged after the Delta variant emerged, and now, doctors and nurses are challenged to curtail its multiplicity and devastating effect. In addition, despite appeals from all sources, medical and non-medical, a number of people refuse to take the vaccine’s first and second shots and the booster. Recently, most deaths incurred show that those who succumbed to the disease did not receive any shots. From 3rd January, 2020 to current, records for Guyana show that there have been 47,005 positive reported cases and 1,075 deaths, Region 4 being the hot spot. Some 451,724 tests have been conducted throughout the country. Recovered cases amount to 38,346. A total of 415,611 persons (81% of adults) received the first dose vaccine while 301,918 (59%) have received both doses.
Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony last Tuesday stressed that, “Booster shots are now widely recommended. Six months after your last shot, immunity of persons starts to wean….but, what they have found is that if between 5-6 months you are given a third dose, then the immunity remains quite high.’ Emergency Medicine Specialist attached to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, Dr. Zulfikar Bux, could not help but to emphatically elaborate on the important, significant and essential need for the booster shots. According to his weekly report, “Evidence has emerged which shows persons who have taken their booster being 40 times less likely to have symptoms if they get exposed to Omicron,” he advised. Dr. Bux who also heads the Emergency Room at the GPHC also stressed the necessity for the immunity system to be in “tip top shape and ready to battle.”
COVID-19 protocols recommended include: get vaccinated, take the booster shot, promote social distancing, avoid large gatherings, wash your hands as often as possible, sanitise, wear surgical masks preferably, maintain clean and safe environment, eating healthy, getting sufficient rest, exercise adequately, keep a low stress level, daily intake of Vitamins C, D and Zinc, cough in your arm folded, get tested and stay home if showing any signs of the symptoms. Symptoms vary and can range from mild to severe illness, appearing 2-14 days after exposure. Symptoms may include a single sign or a combination: cough, shortness of breath or breathing, fever, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell.
The costly repercussions have brought a severe strain on the hospital system. Hospitals throughout the country are being affected devastatingly. The Human Resource Department has seen a rise in absentees from the inception of the year. Employees are coming to work and showing obvious signs of the COVID-19 symptoms. They are being sent home and advised to be tested. In most cases, a positive result confirms the worse. Doctors, nurses, clerks and labourers are also being tested positive as a result of constant and over exposure to COVID-19 patients. This loss of manpower is affecting the health system and hospitals are working under severe, strenuous and sacrificial conditions. This additional burden was unnecessarily and avoidably placed on the shoulders of the management of the hospitals. They are at their wits end to cope with this reckless challenge. Could this have been avoided? Had Guyanese not indulged in all the frivolities, meeting and mixing, would this escalation still have materialised? Even if with all the socialising, had Guyanese abided with all the precautions, would this predicament still have taken place? It’s now water under the bridge and Guyanese are paying a big penalty with a heavy toll. Guyanese have undermined the health care system and have contributed to the precarious shortage of medical services from the professionals, through negligence, nescience and malfeasance.

Respectfully,
Jai Lall

---

---