Tobago prepares for second covid19 wave

KINNESHA GEORGE-HARRY

THA Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development Secretary Tracy Davidson-Celestine says the assembly is preparing for a possible second wave of covid19.

Addressing the division’s virtual media conference at the Scarborough Library on Friday, Davidson-Celestine said the covid19 taskforce continues to meet regularly three times a week, using technology, as it identifies various means of preparation.

The Ministry of Health on Sunday afternoon said there were 115 cases of covid19 in TT and eight deaths owing to the virus. Tobago's case tally remained at five and one death.

Davidson-Celestine said, “Tobago was very fortunate to only have sporadic cases.

“We never know what is around the corner and so in order to mitigate any effects, in order to mitigate any challenges, we must ensure that we plan, and this is where our team is at this point.”

She said that she has decided to break up the team to look at different areas.

“We’re focusing on detection, response and also research, putting systems in place to build our capabilities and our capacities in research.

“Under 'detection,' the team is now focused on looking at a number of critical areas: our laboratory services, surveillance and risk assessment, contact tracing and of course ensuring that we have our rapid response teams out into our rapid response planning approach. As long as any situation arises, we would be ready to treat with it, whether it be in the communities or otherwise.”

Davidson-Celestine said the division has also focused on how it would respond in the event of an overwhelming number of people coming to healthcare facilities and eventually testing positive.

“We’ve looked at how we will command and co-ordinate, we’ve looked at how we would roll out our risk-communication strategies, we’re assessing our different points of entry into the island, we’re looking into our case management strategies, infection, prevention and control and of course logistics procurement at this time, and supplies management.

"We want to ensure that we have enough supplies to treat with any situation that is likely to affect us.”

She said this must be driven by research going forward.

On the issue of contact tracing, Davidson-Celestine said this is ongoing and is part of the second-wave planning approach. It is being led by public health officials, including county medical officer of health, Tobago, Dr Tiffany Hoyte, and her team. She also mentioned the rapid-response team approach, which she said is being led by the Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA).

Focus, she said, has also been placed on strengthening the general health care system to improve overall delivery of service.

Davidson-Celestine said testing continues on the island.

“In terms of the number of persons tested to date, we have 121. Number of samples testing positive: we have five. Sixty-five persons tested negative; and number of samples rejected to date 28.”

She said she has been working along with the CEO, the administrator, members of staff at the Tobago Regional Health Authority and its chair to ensure that we can treat with all those outstanding matters that require urgent attention.

Davidson-Celestine also addressed complaints from residents nearby the hospital about the burning of waste.

“I know that the incinerator has been causing quite a lot of concern in the public domain as we continue to burn biomedical waste. For some time now, those incinerators were down but they are functioning now but there are some challenges. What has been considered is a non-incinerator waste management system.

"I have been advised by the chairlady of the TRHA as well as the CEO that the equipment is here in Tobago, and that once the borders are open, the team would travel from overseas to do the installation and of course the training of staff."

On short-term measures to implement she said, "Perhaps what can be done is a scheduling of burning, but more so we have looked at whether we can outsource the burning at this time. Of course, we have challenges receiving quotations because of the covid situation, which required non-essential businesses to stop function basically.”

She noted that for some time the hot water system was also not working, but is now functioning again.

Additionally, she said the hospital’s air-conditioning is not functioning. The CEO and the chairlady have said the scope of works has been completed and the request for tender would be tabled at the next meeting of the TRHA board on May 7. The approximate cost of fixing it, she said “would likely be $5 million.”

On The payments to suppliers for goods and services as well as gratuities, Davidson-Celestine said, “Up to this point suppliers were paid a total of $22,785,000 in the month of April, and so we have cleared the majority of those debts.

“I have been informed by the chairlady that with regard to the outstanding gratuities for the year 2017, there are 108 employees who are ready to be paid. That comes to a total of $3.4 million.

"For the year 2018, the total number of 89 persons are ready to be paid and that amounts to $3.9 million, so the total in gratuity that is ready to be paid at this point in time and when I say ready, it would have gone through the Board of Inland Revenue, is estimated at roughly $7.4 million.

"Because we would have received some funding very recently, I am pleased to say by May 14 latest, those persons would receive their gratuity payments for the year 2017 and also 2018.”