Dr Michael Darville speaking at the Office of the Prime Minister briefing on Friday, July 19, 2024. Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS
Tribune Staff Reporter
lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
HEALTH Minister Dr Michael Darville said the nation's hospitals are well equipped to address infectious diseases given the recent increase in the number of persons testing positive for influenza-like illnesses, including COVID-19.
Last month, the Ministry of Health issued a statement urging the public to continue to be vigilant amid the uptick. During the weekly press briefing at the Office of the Prime Minister on Friday, Dr Darville said the effects of the new strain of COVID are similar to flu-like symptoms.
He said the spike in cases primarily affects adults, adding that there is no need to panic.
“Those who are in hospital who are COVID-positive happen to be COVID-positive, but suffering from another medical condition. So, the whole protocol of isolation is very important in the tertiary healthcare facilities because we do not want that person on the open ward to infect the other potential cases because our wards at the Princess Margret Hospital, the majority are still Florence Nightingale wards,” Dr Darville said.
He said the modular units at Princess Margret Hospital and the Rand Memorial Hospital are permanent and operational.
“They are in place, and thank God because we are now in the hurricane season and it’s important to have the surplus of space in the event that we do have hurricanes and we do see a spike and we have cases coming into the hospital. I believe that we are better prepared now than when we first came into office to handle infectious diseases coming into hospital,” he said on Friday.
The public is reminded to continue practising good hand hygiene, wearing masks, maintaining physical distance, and getting tested and vaccinated, as these practices can significantly reduce transmission rates of infectious diseases.
Dr Darville urged the public to adhere to COVID-19 protocol, saying “even though COVID is no longer a pandemic it still has potential effect for death and ill health”.
Comments
ThisIsOurs 4 months, 1 week ago
"Those who are in hospital who are COVID-positive happen to be COVID-positive,"
Or, theyre in hospital because COVID exacerbated their condition. We have at least 2 years of data showing that people with preexisting conditions had their normal symptoms worsened by COVID, i.e., pregnant mothers. We cant make a determination because this wasnt really an information update. Were they scheduled patients or emergency patients, at minimum that would provide greater insight.
rosiepi 4 months, 1 week ago
This makes no sense, and once again this gov’t’s statement lacks meaningful information since we know from experience that most COVID patients that need hospitalization, ICU care are those who also suffer from pre-existing conditions.
And since some of us have sadly experienced and/or recall those cases published here and in other news outlets of the plight of others who no fault of their own contracted respiratory infections including COVID whilst recovering in hospital (Doctors & PMH), shouldn’t citizens be apprised of that risk as well?? Considering that Bahamian citizens fund their own hospitals one way or another? Some have even paid with their lives haven’t they?
At least then patients can arm themselves accordingly, taking extra precautions in hospital anticipating staff failure to do so, ie. wear masks, wash hands frequently and perhaps even postpone their elective procedures??
ted4bz 4 months, 1 week ago
If they trying to start this foolishness up again, it won't work, they'll never pull it off without the cooperation of Russia and China. As far as they are concerned, they can forget it, the US will never be able to pull this off. The world is divided into two, the US uni hegemony rules base order, known as the G7, versus the fair world order of the multipolar world headed by Russia and China, and the rising of BRICS. Russia and China are no longer playing in the US arena, they've got their own world. If the Bahamas want real independence, stability and sovereignty, then it must find a way to escape being forced to dabble around in the US charades and schemes that are wrecking the world.
ThisIsOurs 4 months, 1 week ago
They're not trying to "pull off anything. The one thing you can be assured of is no country is going to jump to shut down their economy again unless people are dying in the hundreds.
If anything they're going out of their way to downplay the cases. The individuals from the account given are in for symptoms "normally" associated with whatever they have and aren't strictly experiencing COVID related symptoms. According to Darville, if they werent tested, you wouldnt even suspect that they had COVID
ExposedU2C 4 months, 1 week ago
LMAO.
Is this nutter Darville referring to the very same hospitals in The Bahamas that Coward Stumpy Davis always avoids like the plague whenever he is afflicted with any kind of ailment?
bahamianson 4 months, 1 week ago
Yes , it is. He will be no where around to be found. But Bahamians , have faith in our Bahamian hospital, says the Prime Minister.
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