COVID-19 vaccination campaign ongoing in Sand Creek

Toshao of Sand Creek, Mr. Maxie Pugsley, has commended the Government for its efforts to obtain COVID-19 vaccines for the nation, and he is especially pleased that his village is already benefiting from the first roll-out of the vaccination programme.

Several frontline healthcare workers and persons ages 60 and over have already been inoculated in the village, which is situated on the right bank of the Rupununi River in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo.

“People are a little scared about this virus. We were scared recently with the strain from Brazil. We are now having the vaccine, and that shows the interest the Government has in my people here at Sand Creek,” he told DPI on Tuesday.

Toshao Pugsley said the village is especially grateful as it has recently confirmed three Covid positive cases among residents who had travelled recently, and it took a decision to impose a two-week lockdown.

While the immunisation campaign ran smoothly on Monday in the community, the inclement weather on Tuesday deterred some persons. The rain also delayed the arrival of a quota of vaccines from Lethem, as it caused the Rupununi River to rise. 

Nevertheless, the Toshao said the medical team on ground organised with the village council and persons were picked up directly from their homes, while others, who could not, were visited and inoculated by the medical team.

“We are trying to have every older person in the village and [persons with disabilities] to come in with the village bus and get their vaccine too. The vaccine is very good, especially in the fight against this disease,” he said.

Government Medical Officer (GMO), Dr. Petrianna Surujpaul, who is attached to the Sand Creek Health Centre also noted that residents were very receptive to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

“We’ve had a substantial amount of persons coming out, those that cannot come out, we have actually provided transportation with the village bus, with the assistance of the Toshao to go for persons who cannot come from far end areas. So, with that we are actually getting more persons to take the vaccine.”

“We had a talk with the villagers prior to this: adverse reactions, why we are giving this vaccine et cetera were discussed before we began. Persons were interested and very responsive,” Dr. Surujpaul said.

The doctor said within the first hour of the campaign on Monday, 30 persons were vaccinated, and this momentum continued. Eventually, more vaccines had to be sourced from Lethem.

Dr. Surujpaul, who hails from Region Four is encouraging everyone in the 60 years and older category and her fellow frontline colleagues to get inoculated. “Help us to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and help us to protect one another,” she said.

Sand Creek has a population of approximately 976 persons. The Wapichan community largely comprises subsistence and livestock farmers.

Government has so far received 3000 vaccines through a donation from the Government of Barbados, 20,000 from China and an additional 80,000 from India. It is to receive 104,000 through the COVAX mechanism and 149,000 under a CARICOM – African Union purchase agreement.  Last weekend, President, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali announced that Guyana has ordered 200,000 doses of the Sputnik vaccine and would be expecting its first shipment of 50,000 doses soon. After the first shipment, the Government expects to receive another 50,000 every two weeks until it has received the amount ordered.