Concern over direct flights from SARS-affected Canada
Stabroek News
April 18, 2003
The Ministry of Health has expressed concern in relation to the killer respiratory disease, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), in light of the fact that Canada has recorded several deaths from the disease.
Canada is the only country outside of Asia that has recorded deaths from the pneumonia-like virus which has infected more than 3,400 people mostly in Asia.
Thirteen persons have died from the disease in Canada and it is a country with which Guyana has high passenger traffic.
Questioned yesterday, Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy acknowledged that there were concerns over Canada’s situation.
“We have to be a lot more careful in terms of the port-of-entry measures,” minister said.
He disclosed that health officials were holding daily reviews of programmes.
At the airport, when persons return from affected areas they are issued with a green card alerting them of the disease and they are also screened by health officials stationed there.
If a passenger shows any sign of the disease he/she is immediately referred to a medical practitioner.
Ramsammy said that persons travelling from other affected areas would have to pass through countries that have measures in place at the airports. However, with Canada there were direct flights and he said this was a cause for more concern.
But he remained optimistic that Guyana would not be troubled by the disease.
