Jagdeo and team due back from China visit
Stabroek News
April 5, 2003
President Bharrat Jagdeo and his delegation were expected to arrive yesterday from a trip to the Chinese province of Guangdong where the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is rampant.
There have been concerns expressed that the President and his team could have been exposed to the disease that has infected thousands worldwide and killed nearly 80 persons. Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, said on Thursday that the Chinese government had taken the necessary precautions to protect the team.
And yesterday the minister told Stabroek News that the team had been in Los Angeles since Monday and were any of them infected the symptoms would have already started to show up.
He had also said that the presidential team would have passed through other checkpoints on the way home. On arrival they would be issued with an advisory card and seen by medical personnel.
Dr Okey Nwnyanwu, who is head of the new US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) office here said that if any cases were identified in Guyana the CDC would be more than willing to help by making contact with the head office and having experts come here.
He noted that CDC had been working around the world tracking down cases, trying to identify the cause and developing a cure.
Minister Ramsammy said that the Georgetown Public Hospital had already designated a part of the hospital to be used by such patients should the need arise.
