By Prior Beharry
ACTING Medical Chief of Staff of the Scarborough General Hospital Dr Victor Wheeler says there is no cover up regarding Covid-19 cases at the hospital.
He admitted to cluster cases at the hospital saying that Trinidad and Tobago was in a Covid-19 pandemic.
Speaking on Saturday, Dr Wheeler said healthcare workers had lives outside of the workplace where there was community spread.
He said, “Healthcare workers are mandated to use appropriate PPE while treating patients at work. PPE use outside of the work place is not as stringent for example when sharing a meal or when travelling home from work in the same car.”
Dr Wheeler said the 52 new Covid-19 cases reported for Tobago on Thursday was for the whole island and included healthcare workers and ancillary staff.
He noted that the Tobago Regional Health Authority was responsible for Covid-19 positive cases in Tobago and the Scarborough General Hospital continued to deliver healthcare to the public and to protect staff and patients.
Dr Wheeler said, “There is no cover up. We are always open to the media and public for enquires and clarification.”
His comments follows the Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development
Tobago House of Assembly (THA) virtual presser on Thursday when Tobago Channel 5 reporter Kandace Jackson said that health officials in Tobago were not being truthful about Covid-19 cases at the hospital.
She said there were reports of people visiting the hospital and returning home with Covid-19. Jackson said healthcare workers were also infecting people.
Secretary of the Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development Tracy Davidson-Celestine responded that Jackson had made a lot of assumptions which were not necessarily based on fact.
She said the information shared with the public by the THA was accurate and there was no cover up at the hospital.
Davidson-Celestine said there were reports that people went to the hospital to socialise and all patients who needed to be tested were tested for Covid-19.
