By Sue-Ann Wayow
ANY private medical institution can manage Covid-19 patients.
This is according to the Ministry of Health’s Principal Medical Officer Dr Maryam Abdool-Richards.
Speaking at the ministry’s virtual press conference on Wednesday, Dr Abdool Richards said the ministry has no problem assisting once contacted by the institution.
The Covid-19 ward at Medical Associates Hospital in Chaguanas has been operational since September 6 but on Monday it was officially launched at a press conference at its St Joseph’s main facility. It is the first private medical institution to have a Covid-19 ward.
Dr Abdool-Richards said, “At this point in time, we have not been approached by any other facility but we are open to conversations with them regarding the management of ICU patients.”
She added that the Ministry of Health does provide an inspection and licensing certification which was done through the Private Licensing Act.
“The Medical Associates Hospital has been submitting their applications with respect to licensing agreement and they undergo an annual inspection visit carried out by a multidisciplinary team,” she said.
More information on the ward was given by its medical director Dr Aroon Naraynsingh on Monday who said the hospital was remodeled to facilitate the care of Covid-19 patients in a ‘hot zone’ and was isolated from other sections.
The Covid-19 ward can have up to 12 patients and has an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) capacity of two which can be expanded if necessary. All patients are being cared for by fully vaccinated staff of over 250 personnel.
The state-of-the-art facility has a fully equipped ICU and the full range of World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved medications for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.
The main difference with this ward and the public health facilities wards is that patients are allowed visitors.
Although the facility is privately run, Dr Naraynsingh said the facility would give assistance to Government in the national fight against the virus.
With reference to the visitation system, Dr Naraynsingh said, “The little advantage patients have in this system is that we have limited visitation. In other words, we allow relatives to visit, restricted on the amount of time they can spend and the amount of people that go in to see them. This is not one of the things available in the public system and I could understand that because of the volume, and the expense as well, because each time somebody go in there they have to be properly dressed with the PPE (personal protective equipment).”
The PPE used by visitors are provided by the hospital.
Information on Covid-19 patients are also recorded and supplied to the Ministry of Health, Dr Naraynsingh said.
Cost of treating patients more expensive
Naraynsingh said, “It (cost) is a little more expensive than the normal patient because of the amount of PPE you have to use and some of the drugs are really expensive.”
He said that the anti-viral drugs, which are expensive, were given to patients only if necessary but given the high cost, there was a hesitancy to use them in the public health system.
“And the other drug, which is the anti-inflammatory drug, is very, very expensive. So we give that only when necessary but that’s the one that would really prevent you from going into a crash, and prevent you from going to ICU and being ventilated, for once you go there, your prognosis is not very good,” Dr Naraynsingh said.
He stressed that with the use of the anti-inflammatory drug, a patient is less likely to become critically ill or die, leading to a lower mortality rate.
He also encouraged vaccination against Covid-19.
“The other thing is that Covid in general, the vaccination is an important thing. If you get ill, and very ill, you stand a much better chance if you’re vaccinated. I think it’s safer for the patients or the public, the people around them, the staff, and the country as a whole. And it will also help the country to develop economically.”
Dr Naraynsingh said the anti-viral drug used was between $1,500 and $1,800 per shot and a patient would normally require six shots over a five-day period.
Referring to the anti-inflammatory drug, its cost was $15,000 per shot but only one shot was required, the doctor said.
Good initiative
President of the Chaguanas Chamber of Industry and Commerce (CCIC) Richie Sookhai said the initiative by Medical Associates would auger well with attempting to ease the Government’s burden in dealing with Covid-19.
He said, “The public system is under strain as it is. This is a good initiative and it shows that the government could lean on the private sector in the looming shortage of hospital beds. In the same manner that the Government opened up the vaccination drive for the business community, this shows that everybody is doing their part in assisting. Especially with the introduction of the Delta variant and ICU units being filled, I think that more rooms are needed and other institutions could also take up the initiative.”
