GPHC adequately equipped to combat COVID-19
-general public called on to adhere to all health protocols
Director of Medical and Professional Services at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, Dr. Fawcett Jeffrey says Guyana’s COVID-19 related deaths, over the past month and a half, were due to the victim’s prior health complications.
There were some reports that the deaths were due to the limited resources at the health institution.
However, during a press conference hosted by the hospital, Dr. Jeffrey disputed this. He noted that “There isn’t a lack of medication, ventilation and supporting systems for doctors working in GPHC’s ICU that caused the death of the patients. We have a committee to come up with ways in which we can do better to avoid that outcome, but nothing about our efficiency leads to the demise of the patients,” Dr. Jeffrey reiterated.
Dr. Jeffrey also used the opportunity to restate the need for those with underlying health issues to take the necessary safeguards against the pandemic.
The Director of Medical and Professional Services also reminded that combatting COVID-19 is a collective effort that requires the support of not just the health care professionals, but the general public as well.
Dr. Jeffrey implored that Guyanese be more cognizant of COVID-19 and follow all safety measures perpetually, including while undergoing testing and awaiting results.
The Doctor explained that due to the test results taking some time, some patients must remain in the transfer unit of the hospital and wear masks at all times to prevent further spread of the disease. He shared that while staff members are adequately prepared and trained, they deal with the difficulty of some of the patients not adhering to the rules.
“Our staff is working in the transfer unit to ensure we separate patients and adhere to social distancing. Most patients in this unit are unaware of their status, and we have difficulty with patients complying and wearing their masks at all times. Therefore, we have to take precautions to avoid communication until their statuses are known, can be immediately transferred to a safer place,” Dr. Jeffrey explained.
GPHC’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) retired Brigadier George Lewis, supported Dr. Jeffrey’s calls for Guyanese to adhere to all the safety measures.
“Healthcare workers are not immune to the novel coronavirus. If those workers are affected, it reduces the amount of staff we have to treat patients. In order to avoid that, I would like to plea to the general public to adhere to all health guidelines set out by the WHO and MOH in order to protect ourselves and our health workers,” Lewis posited.