– PM says other facilities being examined, active search ongoing for financing

By Navendra Seoraj
THE former Ocean View International Hotel has been identified as a dedicated facility for incubation, isolation, quarantine and medical attention for persons diagnosed with, or suspected to have, the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The decision to transform the hotel facility into a “COVID-19 hospital” was made by the government through the National COVID-19 Task Force, which is being chaired by Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.

The idea to establish such a facility was put to the government by the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) after a new study found that Guyana could have as many as 20,000 COVID-19 cases in a month.

The Ministry of Public Health, using the PAHO/WHO method, had initially projected 1,400 cases, but a recent study done by PAHO/WHO found that with every case, another 2.5 persons will be affected within five days if there is no partial lockdown, and if persons do not exercise effective social distancing.

“That 2.5, if I infect you, you infect 2.5 others and they infect another 2.5. Within a month we will get over 20,000; it a simple model but it makes a lot of sense,” said PAHO/WHO Resident Representative Dr. William Adu-Krow in a recent News Room report.

And should this happen, Dr. Adu-Krow said, five per cent or 1000 of those infected would need intensive care, and Guyana simply does not have the capacity for this.

On the point of building capacity and improving the local response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Adu-Krow, in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle on Friday, said: “By way of government, a lot is being done, but a lot more needs to be done… PAHO has recommended a dedicated hospital for COVID-19, so people do not have to always call and say they did not get through.”

Prime Minister Nagamootoo has since confirmed that PAHO’s proposal was examined by the task force, and the Ocean View Hotel was identified as the building in which the hospital will be housed.

WORK ONGOING

“Work is ongoing to make this into a dedicated facility for incubation, isolation, quarantine or medical attention for persons who confirmed positive for the disease, Minister Nagamootoo said in a virtual press briefing on Saturday. “A technical team from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure is inspecting the facility to see what might be needed,” he added.

The Minister of Public Health, Volda Lawrence had said earlier that the Ocean View facility will have 300 beds for critical patients.

In addition to ‘Ocean View’, the government is also considering the possibility of converting the former Guyana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) building on High Street into a similar COVID-19 facility.

“We have identified that building, and an examination is being done to see if all or some sections can be used. We are also looking at other buildings; there are sports halls that can be converted,” the PM said, adding that the government is looking to be equipped with 1,000 beds for confirmed cases.

While the hope is that Guyana will never reach such a figure in terms of COVID-19 cases, he said it is important for them to be prepared.

The Government of the People’s Republic of China, the country where the disease originated, had constructed a hospital to deal specifically with COVID-19. Other countries, which might not have had the capacity to construct a hospital, have also identified specific facilities for treating COVID-19 patients.

Local health authorities have also identified a number of isolation, quarantine and COVID-19 intensive care facilities.

Just Thursday, President David Granger said national quarantine and isolation facilities have already been established at the West Demerara Regional Hospital; the (East Bank Demerara) Diamond Diagnostic Centre; the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC); the (Timehri) Madewini Youth Centre; the (East Coast Demerara) Ocean View International Hotel; the Cliff Anderson Sports Centre and the National Gymnasium. These facilities collectively, will be able to accommodate one thousand persons.

FUTURE MEASURES
When asked how government plans to finance these and future measures to combat the COVID-19 disease, Prime Minister Nagamootoo said there is an active search at this time for identification of funding.

Already, the government, through the Ministry of Finance, has requested US$5M from the World Bank.

“There have been approaches to international organisations for funding… specific applications have been made to certain banks to address the disease… the Ministry of Finance is active on that front, to approach the CDB, IDB, IMF or wherever, even UN funds,” said Prime Minister Nagamootoo.

In talking about a proposed budget to deal fund the local response to the disease, he said: “It will be a budget that will run into billions of dollars… it would be a heavy sum… t is an emergency situation so it has to be money that will be accessible in the Contingency Fund.
“We have a challenge, there is no Parliament so you need to see where you have money… we are, however, preparing a consolidated shopping list which will be presented to the Ministry of Finance.”

As it stands now, the prime minister said despite the political climate, government still has access to the consolidated fund.

It was reported that the Board of Directors of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) met this week and approved up to US$140 million to be used by the bank’s Borrow, to tackle the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and other shocks to their economies.

In addition, Trinidadian Economist Dr. Roger Hosein, has said that Guyana’s oil revenues, held within the Natural Resources Fund (NRF), can be tapped into to boost the country’s response to the emergency situation arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic.