APNU MP, Dr George Norton

The Government should be more proactive and intensify the fight against the spread of Chikungunya and other vector-borne diseases, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament (MP), Dr Karen Cummings said.

The APNU MP and parliamentary colleague, Dr George Norton, accused the Government of adopting a position that displays complacency during the coalition’s weekly press briefing on Friday.

It was claimed that the Government was aware of the pending outbreak of Chikungunya and had maintained that it was prepared to deal with the mosquito-borne disease. However, APNU charged, the public later found out that this was not the case, as the Health Ministry lacked the human resources capacity to operate some of the requisite machinery that were pivotal to the fight.

Nineteen persons have been confirmed as having the Chikungunya virus, while scores more were tested after the virus was first detected in Berbice.

Obvious de-emphasis

APNU MP, Dr Karen Cummings

“The emergence and re-emergence [of the disease] can be attributed to complacency and an obvious de-emphasis on a public health problem, the failure of the health structure to adequately manage this menace, diversion of financial support to other areas and the apparent use of a few drugs and insecticides as a quick-fix method contributed to the exacerbation on display,” Dr Cummings said.

The doctor also cited a slew of other contributory factors that have led to the current problem, including climate change, but she noted that attention must also be placed on proper waste disposal/management infrastructure in Guyana.

For the Government to go about effectively tackling the issue, immense focus must be placed on training health personnel in the detection of vector-borne diseases, the development of “robust health facilities” and adequate public education to inform the public of the perils of being infected with the disease and ways to prevent such, Dr Cummings lamented on Friday.

Also urging Government to boost preventative efforts in this regard was Dr Norton, who contended that the proposed idea of a quarantine would not be effective given, Guyana’s situation.

Further, he called on Government to focus on all vector-borne diseases as they continue to be significant threats to human life.

“APNU reasserts that it is the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Administration’s responsibility to protect the population from these diseases. The PPP/C must explain why, even in places where mosquitoes were eliminated decades ago, vector-borne diseases are re-emerging,” the Shadow Health Minister said.

Intensified fogging

However, Director of the Vector Control Services Department of the Health Ministry, Dr Reyaud Rahaman on Tuesday told Guyana Times that the Ministry will intensify its fogging exercises in identified communities across Georgetown. He said that the fogging exercises are aimed at killing the adult mosquitoes which are the carriers of the virus.

The Director is advising residents to keep their windows open when the fogging is in progress so that the mist can infiltrate their homes, thus killing the mosquitoes within and curbing the spread of the virus.

He is also advising that in an effort to avoid the risks of health complications as a result of the fogging exercises, residents exercise caution by covering water and securing all food items (uncooked and cooked) to prevent contamination; securing all domestic animals and poultry and keeping asthmatic persons, young children and the elderly away from the direct flow of the fog.

The continued fogging initiative commenced on Tuesday and is expected to continue during the hours of 05:00h and 22:30h daily.

West Ruimveldt, East Ruimveldt, Alexander Village, East La Penitence, Tucville, South Ruimveldt, North Ruimveldt, Roxanne Burnham Gardens, Laing Avenue, North East La Penitence, Meadow Brook Gardens, Durban Backlands, Lodge, Albouystown, Charlestown, Werk-en-Rust and Wortmanville are among the areas that have already been fogged.

The fogging initiative is expected to continue today in South and North Sophia, Prashad Nagar and surrounding communities.