COVID-19 Unit commissioned at Suddie

Region Two, which to date has recorded 223 cases of COVID-19, now has a specialised isolation facility to care for patients; it can accommodate over 40 persons.

Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony commissioned the $12 million facility, which is located in the compound of the Suddie hospital on the Essequibo Coast.

The Minister noted that although the Region has not seen a spike in cases, in the event that it does happen, the Region would be well prepared.

“The regional task force for COVID has been doing a lot of good work in terms of managing the cases that we’ve had in Region two and also doing contact tracing. And they thought that it’s important that we develop this specialized COVID isolation facility, so that if there are cases that would require isolation, that more options can be given to these patients”, he said.

Anthony explained that a past challenge faced by health officials was the availability of beds for positive COVID-19 cases, but that concern has now been allayed.

“What this is going to allow us to do is extend the number of beds that we have and as you’ve heard; we’ll have in this facility space for over 40 patients,” he added.

Dr Shener Reid, Medical Superintendent (ag) at the Suddie public hospital, expressed her satisfaction as she explained that when patients are in home isolation they do not comply with the COVID-19 guidelines.

“The home isolation cases would more than likely be decreased out there so we’ll have more hospital isolation patients where we could monitor them closely and keep them safer here”, she said.

Meanwhile, the Region also received a new boat worth $2.4 million with an engine worth $3 million.

Dr Anthony said the boat would serve as a way of getting medication and other pieces of equipment to communities in the Pomeroon River.

It would also be used in the provision of dental and other services.

He said the Ministry would be conducting medical outreaches as least every two weeks, visiting the region’s communities to monitor health conditions that might affect residents, and provide other vital medical services.