BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – COVID-19 patients waiting too late to seek treatment for their symptoms is contributing to the increase in the death toll from the virus, Minister of Health Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic disclosed on Wednesday.
Health Minister Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic (BGIS Photo)Back in January-February this year, an initiative called Operation Seek and Save was established to reach those who were remaining at home and presenting only when they were very sick. Minister Bostic said the situation is much worse now.
“Persons coming to Accident and Emergency are immediately having to be placed on oxygen because they are in poor condition. And so, I would continue to ask or beg our citizens to cooperate with us. It is extremely important that if we have elderly relatives or neighbors that we take care of them and bring them for treatment at an early time when we can provide the assistance they require, so we can try to save more lives. That is vital,” he said.
“The same thing for persons who are experiencing symptoms – whether they are elderly or young and they remain at home or continue working until it is too late, so that when they are diagnosed they are at a stage where they have to be sent to the isolation facilities. So, these are the challenges we are facing at the moment.”
The latest updated provided by the Ministry of Health on Wednesday indicated the number of COVID-19 deaths had risen to 187.
There have been 21,011 confirmed COVID-19 cases recorded, since March last year with 7,312 of those being active cases.
Bostic noted, meantime, that health officials were not as concerned as they previously were about the number of positive COVID-19 cases, since there is widespread community transmission. The focus now, he said, had changed to saving lives and protecting livelihoods.
While noting that his Ministry is facing many challenges in the COVID-19 fight, Bostic pointed out that some gains were made in a few areas.
The Health Minister added that for “the last few days” the respiratory clinic at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, which was usually overwhelmed, did not have any patients.
The Health Minister also stated that the conversion of the Harrison’s Point Isolation Facility to a primary and secondary facility “with oxygen and medical air throughout the facility” was another gain.
He noted that the Ministry was “eagerly awaiting” the new oxygen plants purchased by Government, which should arrive on island on Saturday.
Another testing facility was also opened on Monday and another location for testing is also in the works.
“We have been able to establish a 24-hour Operations and Logistics cell at the Ministry of Health and Wellness, which is manned by personnel from the Defence Force, Police Force, the Fire Service and the Ministry, with liaison officers from the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs and the Ministry of Tourism. And that has been working out very well for us. In addition, we have established an epidemiological unit, a special unit, to deal with this [COVID] situation. That, too, is going quite well,” Minister Bostic added.
