PAHO to issue new COVID-19 guidelines

– Guyana will adopt if necessary

– Health Minister

Minister of Health, Hon. Dr. Frank Anthony, during the COVID-19 update on Friday, said the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) will issue new guidelines for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Minister said Guyana will adopt the new guidelines where appropriate.

“Those new guidelines that PAHO would issue, we will certainly look forward to see them and see how we can incorporate them in our existing guidelines.”

The Health Minister highlighted that in addition to the PAHO guidelines, Guyana has been looking at some of the principles of global scientific centres. He said local doctors receive articles from the foremost medical journals, such as the Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine.

“Our doctors have been receiving those articles, to ensure that our treatment protocols and other measures follow the latest science and guidelines. I think so far, we have been working very closely with what is happening in research and trying to implement that here,” Dr. Anthony stated.

The Ministry has worked with PAHO and some consultants in Washington to host a webinar for local doctors. The webinar was based on guidelines that the World Health Organization (WHO) issues pertaining to certifying and classifying COVID-19 deaths. Minister Anthony said the webinar should give local doctors a better understanding of how to certify those types of deaths.