China took steps to protect Jagdeo’s team from respiratory ailment -Ramsammy
By Samantha Alleyne
Stabroek News
April 4, 2003
The Health Ministry says China took the necessary precautions to protect a team headed by President Bharrat Jagdeo from a respiratory ailment which is ravaging the Chinese province of Guangdong, Hong Kong and a number of other countries.
Health Minister Dr Leslie Ramsammy yesterday told Stabroek News that the presidential team would also be passing through other checkpoints on its way home and on arrival here would be issued with a health card and seen by medical personnel.
Ramsammy says while there is no serious risk in travelling to countries affected by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), if the trip is not absolutely necessary it should be abandoned.
The worldwide outbreak, which originated in China, has resulted in sixty-two reported deaths, and caused great concern since doctors have not yet fully identified the disease, its rate of transmission or found an effective treatment.
“At this time I think as we are learning, I don’t think it is to our advantage to ignore it and therefore if travelling is not necessary I wouldn’t do it...” Ramsammy said in an interview with Stabroek News yesterday.
Ramsammy said that it was more a case of being alert, noting that there was keen surveillance all over the world. But he did point out that Brazil had recently picked up a suspected case of the disease.
The minister said Guyana was taking all precautions adding that his staff was in constant contact with the major international health organisations.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr Rudolph Cummings, on Wednesday issued a statement that the ministry was monitoring any persons who might have travelled into Guyana from the affected countries.
Following Dr Cummings’ release the Embassy of China in Guyana responded with a release of their own stating that “Effective measures have been taken and the epidemic of atypical pneumonia has been put under control.”
Concerns have been raised locally over President Jagdeo and his delegation which is returning from a trip to China’s Guangdong Province, an area with high infection rates.
However, Ramsammy said that there was no need for worry disclosing that the Chinese government had taken precautions for the team.
Explaining what transpires at the airport when persons arrive from affected countries, the minister said a green card is issued and passengers are also seen by the ministry’s health personnel at the airport.
“Anyone who comes in at the airport for example and has been to an area within the last ten days will be given this card by the health authority people...... If a person, in addition to coming from this area, has certain symptoms, that person will be referred directly to medical personnel.”
After this, the person is advised to contact a doctor who is also advised to contact the ministry after the medical examination.
The card which reads, ‘Global Alert On Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) alerts the person to the infection and informs them of the symptoms.
The card states that, “Given the spread of SARS to several countries in such a short period of time, the WHO has issued a global alert and indicated that SARS is now a worldwide health threat.”
It further informs that the exact nature of the infection is still under investigation but that the symptoms and signs of the disease include: high fever greater than 38 degrees, one or more respiratory symptoms including coughing, shortness of breath and difficulty breathing.
Ramsammy pointed out that at the moment no country was quarantining any of their citizens but that might very well be the next move.
“You can do nothing to someone if they have been to China and they have come back with no symptoms, you can’t say ‘oh because you have been to China and you have no symptoms I am going to put you away for ten days.’”
According to the minister Guyana is fortunate in the sense that it does not have any direct flights from any of the affected countries, with the exception of the USA and Canada.
“That has a positive significance for us because most people who come from the most affected areas... if they come to Guyana they have to make two or three stops in countries we know have checkpoints...”
He noted that when the president and his team lands in Los Angeles they would have to go through the checks.
“Obviously it is not here, but it can come in and so most of our attention is based on two fronts, one ensuring those that are coming in are checked and two to sensitise the public. Since this infectious process seem to have a gestation period of two to ten days people could very well have it and you wouldn’t know and therefore we would have to alert the public and the medical personnel... as to the symptoms and so on.”
