Email

Print

Here's what he had to say on that topic:

Hon. Pablo Marin- Minister of Health
"Today we had cabinet meeting and the Prime Minister agreed for a budget right now for the situation with the virus of nearly $900 thousand, nearly a million. We have already been spending money from the Ministry of Health."

Dr. Marvin Manzanero- Director of Health Services
"There is an influenza preparedness plan that maps out the levels of affection that you will have. I say use the analogy of a hurricane. If you have to shut down a hospital because you won't be able to give out patient because the vast amount of the community is affected then that is the way it is going to happen. I can use the example of what we said in Corozal, where Corozal said they can't seem to identify an isolation area within the hospital. Then the first thing we have to think about is if it happens right now what are we going to do? Close up the NHI clinic, cordon it off and that will becomes your COVID19 center working area, if you will and the rest of the hospital will have to deal with the outpatients and everything. Or you send the patients to a makes shift hospital, be it a hotel, be it a BDF camp, it changes as you go along. It's just like your hurricane preparedness plan. If a category 1 or category 5 hits you then you basically start from scratch, it's the same thing here. So, that plan is there. The budget that Minister took was created by the Ministry of Health staff Lorna and Russell stayed up late yesterday to do that budget so it could be presented to cabinet, and it is based on international regulations. Possible scenarios, this is where we are going to go and as I said NEMO has said we are going to be lead by you. So, the moment you think this is a critical situation that you are going to pool every government chuck in the government department to lead and lead this situation in its response then that is the way it going to be. So, I think we have that pretty mapped out. As I said, we had one gray area and I think we are getting over that hurdle now."

Dr. Russell Manzanero- Epidemiologist
"The only point, when you do a referral to Karl Huesner is that when these are very severe cases, cases that would merit ventilation or oxygen therapy and these would be the ones that would be sent or should be referred to Karl Huesner. So, we have established that with them. They have their isolation ward that they have equipped. Through MOH and SSB we have an additional support that will be given to them in the event that we need to look out at those cases too."

Dr. Marvin Manzanero
"We are in the process of, and we have gotten the assurance that we will get a budget to start the process of setting up at least one ventilation per region. That is not there yet and you will have to make provisions for setting up a room and training your internists at the regional level for that."

Daniel Ortiz- Channel 7 news reporter
"Sir, is there any protocol being identified for the frontline medical staff at the different hospitals country wide for admitting patients with flu like symptoms?"

Lorna Perez- Surveillance
"Actually there are guidelines that have been in existence as Dr. Manzanero DHS had mentioned before. We do have an influenza plan and so there are certain measures that in the event of an outbreak these are established guidelines and protocols. You will see more of this so I want the public to know that it is just a measure. When they go to any health facility they are seeing that we are separating people with cough and flu like syndrome in one area and the rest in another area. It is just part of the protocol that is being established to try to minimize in the event that we have a case, you know, the exposure of other people that might be seeking health services for other reasons. So, definitely, the frontline, they know what to do in regards to protect themselves and to protect the population at large."

The head table also stressed that the heightened activity over COVID-19 has forced many of the medical staff countrywide to take on strenuous working hours, which they have managed well under the circumstances.