By Sue-Ann Wayow
DUE to the increasing level of severely ill Covid-19 patients in the parallel healthcare system, patients are dying in isolation areas at hospitals.
On Wednesday, during the Ministry of Health’s virtual Covid-19 update, Principal Medical Officer of Health Dr Maryam Abdool-Richards was asked specifically about the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex by AZPNews.com.
She responded that as part of the Delta variant of concern preparedness plan, which began in July, the ministry looked at increasing the capacity to care for Covid-19 patients in the traditional accident and emergency departments as well as the parallel healthcare system.
Dr Abdool-Richards said, “We noticed the consistent trend in persons arriving severely and critically ill via the ambulance service into the accident and emergency departments in the parallel healthcare system which would have been their first point of contact.
“With this in mind, each A&E department especially at the main hospital San Fernando, Sangre Grande, Port-of-Spain and of course at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex did expand their available biocontainment or isolation areas and enroll dedicated ICU Intensive Care Unit level and multidisciplinary team to manage these patients.”
She said, “I am aware of your concern and we are as well of persons who unfortunately passed away in the biocontainment or isolation unit. We need to remember that persons are arriving too ill and they are not fully vaccinated.”
Dr Abdool-Richards again pleaded with the population to get a Covid-19 vaccine and seek medical care as soon as possible if symptoms worsen.
