Doctors at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) are disheartened by the Government of Guyana’s approach to handling the global pandemic, COVID-19. Medical professionals are of the opinion that the government’s approach defies local and international recommendations, “and this can cost us many lives as we seem to have the weakest response.”
A few doctors attached to GPHC spoke to prominent attorney-at-law, Sanjeev Datadin about their concerns. He explained that the doctors are under strict instructions not to speak to the media or not to release, to anyone, any information other than that which is publicly stated by Minister of Health Volda Lawrence. “So this is where client confidentiality steps in. I cannot give you any names but I can tell you the fear is great and the concerns are sincere.”
Datadin related to Guyana Standard that the doctors’ concerns range from the inadequate resources that are given to them, which put them at risk, to issues that can put the overall health of the nation in jeopardy.
He said that at the very least, doctors are not being given N95 masks which are recommended for medical professionals handling COVID-19 cases. Instead, “our doctors are given regular surgical masks. This is not supposed to happen. These doctors have to go back home to their families. There is no separate facility for them. Also, the doctors are concerned that there is no proper procedure for screening persons for the virus before they can enter the hospital.”
Datadin described a simple procedure that can be used to help the situation. He said it is a method that is already being employed by Mercy Hospital. “When you go there, persons check your temperature, screen you properly, before you can be allowed to enter the hospital where persons are for other medical reasons.” Datadin said that this is a simple procedure to limit the number of persons that may come into contact with COVID-19 patients. GPHC adopted a similar procedure at the East Street entrance. However, a major difference is that the medical professionals at the East Street entrance are not given the proper protective gear to aid them in the instance that they do come into contact with a COVID-19 patient.
Perhaps most alarming is the “fact” Minister Lawrence, who is not a medical professional, is the person authorized to decide who gets tested and who has to “wait and self-quarantine.”
Guyana Standard was made to understand that a doctor operating at GPHC has concerns that he presents with symptoms similar to those consistent with someone who has been infected with the deadly virus. However, the doctor was told to call the hotline after which he was told that he should go home and self-quarantine because he has not met the “requirements” to be tested.
While, according to the government, Guyana only records eight confirmed cases, it is believed that this number can rise significantly if more testing is done.
Doctors are of the opinion that widespread testing for all persons presenting with symptoms of COVID-19 is imperative at this point. They told Datadin that widespread testing can help the nation identify the “hotspots” or the area that can be considered the epicenter or COVID-19 capital in Guyana. Authorities can then monitor those areas in an effort to contain the disease.
The doctors are of the opinion that private facilities should be allowed to test persons who can afford to pay for it to be done. However, they are of the opinion that the one problem with this method is that the government will not be able to effectively keep information from the public.
The doctors told Datadin that they were told that the system only has just about “1100 or 1800 testing kits. We are hearing both numbers. That is not confirmed.” Guyana Standard understands that most of the kits were donated by the World Health Organization (WHO).
There is an isolation facility at GPHC which has plastic walls painted black. Persons are of the belief that the facility should be moved to the West Demerara Hospital. The doctors explained that West Demerara Hospital housed the Tuberculosis (TB) center “and that is because TB is contagious.” Datadin said that similarly, the isolation place for persons presenting with COVID-19 symptoms should be one that is not as busy as GPHC and that is isolated.
Another major concern for doctors is inadequate access to information.
Recently, one patient presented with several symptoms of COVID-19 at GPHC, and that patient was given the go-ahead to be tested. Doctors decry the fact that the result for that patient was available since 6:00 pm on the day of testing but they could not get access to the information until around midday the following day.
Datadin said that naturally, the doctors and nurses who had contact with this patient suffered anxiety awaiting this information on if they have been exposed to a COVID-19 patient. It so happens that the test was negative but, “the prolonged panic was unnecessary for these workers to have had to endure.”
But, there are strict instructions that all results must be sent to Lawrence, “none of the doctors cannot see the results.”
Datadin said that the doctors who spoke to him are of the opinion that Guyana can suffer the loss of many lives if the government does not quickly take stock of the situation and follow the advice of WHO.
