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$1.6B COVID-19 hospital opened
…to ensure improved quality of service, infrastructure in COVID-19 fight
By Navendra Seoraj
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GUYANA has taken a major leap in the fight against the dreaded novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with the commissioning of its new Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, at the site of the former Ocean View Hotel.
This “leap” is expected to radically improve the quality of service and infrastructure for patients and staff, as the country continues to battle COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, which may arise in the future.
The situation in Guyana is still evolving. And, according to recent statistics, the country recorded 44 new cases between July 25 and July 28, 2020, a span of just three days. Authorities have recorded 401 cases to date. “Today, life on earth is confronted with one of humanity’s gravest health challenges for more than one hundred years. The COVID-19 pandemic – an event which no country anticipated and for which few could pretend to have been adequately prepared – has brought the death and disease completely unanticipated to millions of persons in every continent,” lamented President David Granger, as he addressed a small gathering at the opening ceremony of the facility, on Thursday.
He said the A Partnership for National Unit and Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Government’s objective of universal healthcare is all the more important given the present situation.
The global pandemic has tested public health systems everywhere. The new reality requires that public health systems increase and strengthen their capacity to address sudden and unexpected outbreaks of communicable diseases by providing more hospital beds, improved protective gear for medical personnel, better communicable diseases surveillance and specialised hospitals, such as this institution, devoted exclusively to infectious diseases.
To this end, President Granger said: “The establishment of this infectious diseases’ hospital represents an essential and urgent investment in safeguarding our people’s health, not just against the coronavirus pandemic, but also against future communicable epidemics.”
This facility, which was rehabilitated and built at a cost of $1.6B billion, is seen
From right, President David Granger; Finance Minister, Winston Jordan; Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence; Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, Colette Adams; Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud; and Resident PAHO/WHO Representative, Dr. William Adu-Krow cut the ceremonial ribbon to declare open, the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (Elvin Croker photo)
seemed distant at first, but it reached Guyana on March 11. And, with it, came immediate challenges such as the need for surveillance, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine facilities and equipment. “There were myriad of unknowns about the highly-infectious disease, particularly symptoms, protective measures…there was even much speculation about COVID-19, and there is still much speculation about COVID-19,” said the minister.
The country, however, quickly realised that it lacked capacity, having limited hospitals and one national referral hospital, the Georgetown
President David Granger and other officials touring the new centre for disease prevention and control (Elvin Croker photo) as an essential element of the our people from epidemic emergency response. disease. It is always prefer
Government recognised able for infectious patients the urgency of having an to be isolated away from the institution which could be general hospital population dedicated exclusively to proso as to reduce the risk of viding treatment to coronavitransmission and to ensure a rus patients. And, according better environment for treatto the President Granger, the ment and recuperation,” said model which was developed the President. in the “early days” of the Minister of Public Health, pandemic required Guyana Volda Lawrence, also spoke to have the capacity and the about the importance of the capability to achieve accomnew facility, noting that it inmodation of 197 Intensive dicates a change in trajectory Care Unit (ICU) patients at of how Guyana will address any one time. outbreaks, epidemics and
He, therefore, believes pandemics. that the infectious diseasShe reminded persons es hospital is strategic, as that this is not the first, local it will be used primarily specialised institution, but for COVID-19 patients but, noted that it reflects the will eventually, will become a and resolve of the governfully-specialised communiment to be proactive rather cable disease hospital. than reactive.
“It is an important step Minister Lawrence adforward towards protecting mitted that COVID-19 had
Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), to cater for all services.
The GPHC, which has the country’s only COVID-19 ICU, has 500 beds and an occupancy rate of 99 per cent. The other district hospitals account for the remaining 64 per cent of beds, but only provide basic inpatient services.
“This situational assessment left us in a quandary, as there were challenges in the capacity and other areas…it was as such deemed necessary for the country to have a designated facility for any surges in patient load, caused by COVID-19,” said Minister Lawrence.
The new facility, as such, serves as the first all-inclusive infectious diseases facility which the public health ministry envisages, will remove the constraints from GPHC and the regional and district hospitals.
The new facility has the capacity for 190 beds and will have a staff complement of 200 persons. It also caters for laboratories, a pharmacy, an ICU, an operation theatre and even a mortuary. A section of the facility will also house the Health Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC), a surveillance centre, a research centre and administrative offices.
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Republicans to Trump: You can't delay 2020 election
(BBC) Top Republicans have rejected Donald Trump's suggestion that November's presidential election should be delayed over alleged fraud concerns.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy both dismissed the idea.
Mr Trump does not have the authority to postpone the election. Any delay would have to be approved by Congress.
Earlier, the president suggested that increased postal voting could lead to fraud and inaccurate results.
He floated a delay un
(BBC) Herman Cain, the Republican pizza chain CEO who ran for president in 2012, has died after contracting Covid-19.
Mr Cain, 74, was hospitalised after being diagnosed til people could "properly, securely and safely" vote. There is little evidence to support Mr Trump's claims but he has long railed against mail-in voting, which he has said would be susceptible to fraud.
US states want to make postal voting easier due to public health concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Trump's intervention came as new figures showed the US economy contracted by nearly a third (32.9%) between April and June - the worst contraction since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
How have Republicans reacted? with the disease earlier this month. "Herman Cain - our boss, our friend, like a father to so many of us - has passed away," a message posted on his official website said.
He was a supporter of President Trump and is one of the most high-profile Americans to die with the virus.
His social media accounts had been providing regular updates on his condition. On 7 July, a post from his Twitter account said "doctors are trying to make sure his oxygen levels are right". "This is a tough virus," it said. "Please continue praying."
Who was Herman Cain?
Born in Tennessee to a janitor and a cleaner, Mr Cain went on to study for a degree in maths and a master's in computing.
He worked variously as a Baptist minister, a radio talk show host and as a businessman.
Mr Cain was an advocate of a flat tax system and ran for office after a stint as CEO of Godfather's Pizza.
During his run, he told reporters he would not stand for any "gotcha questions". "And when they ask me who is the president of Ubekibeki-beki-beki-stan-stan, I'm going to say you know, I don't know. Do you know?"
He initially proved popular, but later found himself at the centre of a number of sexual harassment allegations.
Although he denied the accusations against him, his popularity soon suffered and he suspended his campaign. Mitt Romney later became the Republican candidate in
The president suggested postal voting could lead to fraud and inaccurate results
Senator McConnell said depressions and the Civil no US presidential election War, have we ever not had a had ever been delayed before. federally scheduled election "Never in the history of on time. We will find a way this country, through wars, to do that again this November third," he told local Kentucky station WNKY.
Mr McCarthy echoed him. "Never in the history of the federal elections have we ever not held an election and we should go forward with our election," he said.
Trump ally Senator Lindsay Graham meanwhile said a delay was "not a good idea".
However, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo refused to be drawn on Mr Trump's suggestion. Quizzed by reporters on whether a president could delay an election, he said he would not "enter a legal judgement on the fly". When pressed, he said the justice department would "make that legal determian unsuccessful race against President Barack Obama's bid for a second term in office.
In 2019, Mr Trump sounded him out to sit on the Federal Reserve Board, but he withdrew his nomination after several Republican senators refused to back his appointment.
However, Mr Cain continued to back Mr Trump and appeared at a rally held by the president in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on 20 June.
He was admitted to hospital after contacting coronavirus on 1 July.
Mitt Romney has been among those paying tribute to Mr Cain. "Saddened that Herman Cain - a formidable champion of business, politics and policy - has lost his battle with Covid," he wrote on Twitter.
Former employee Dan nation", adding "we want an election that everyone is confident in".
The spokesman for Mr Trump's re-election campaign, Hogan Gidley, said Mr Trump had just been "raising a question". But Ari Fleischer, who was press secretary under Republican President George W Bush said Mr Trump should delete his tweet.
"This is not an idea anyone, especially POTUS [the president of the United States], should float," he said. "Mr President - please don't even pretend to mess with this. It's a harmful
Herman Cain, US ex-presidential candidate, dies after contracting Covid
Friday July 31, 2020 –– 02:30hrs & 14:30hrs
idea."
Calabrese also praised Mr Cain's legacy. "Most people heard of Herman for the first time when he ran for president in 2011. What they didn't know was his business background," he wrote on Mr Cain's official website. "They didn't know how he had started his career as a civilian employee of the Navy. It was funny to us because sometimes political pundits portrayed him as kind of a goof - having no idea that during his time working for the Navy, he was literally a rocket scientist."
