Health officials are now looking at converting a third ward at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, the nation’s premier healthcare facility, into a COVID-19 ward.
Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Simone Keizer-Beache said, on Wednesday, that her team was monitoring the nation’s COVID-19 figures “with great concern”.
“We have already fully occupied our Argyle Isolation Facility, then we had to move into the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, take over the Female Medical Ward, take over the Pediatric Ward,” she said on VC3’s round table talk.
“And we are now looking at moving to a third ward at the MCMH because we are seeing more and more cases coming in, needing more care and that’s a significant blow to our capacity to offer other types of care. So we’re really concerned about that,” Keizer-Beache said.
Amidst a spike in infections, St. Vincent and the Grenadines has registered 1,574 and 21 deaths since Sept. 9. There are 1,400 active cases in the country.
As of Thursday, there were 23 patients admitted for COVID-19 at the Argyle Isolation Facility. Of these, 21 are unvaccinated and two fully vaccinated.
Meanwhile, 21 patients are admitted to the COVID-19 wards at the MCMH. Of these patients, 19 are unvaccinated, and two are partially vaccinated.
Since March 2020, the country has recorded 3,965 cases of COVID-19, of which 2,532 have recovered.
Speaking on Wednesday, the chief medical officer said:
“I am looking at the figures daily, looking at the amount of testing, the contact tracing that’s going on and I’m not seeing, at this point, any saying that we are flattening the curve.”
Regarding the speed at which some patients have died after testing positive for COVID-19, Keizer-Beache said:
“Unfortunately, we are dealing with the Delta variant. The Delta variant is very aggressive. So that persons become ill in the morning, and then they suddenly, rapidly deteriorate.
“… So somebody who was fine in the morning, speaking normally, suddenly, by the evening, can’t breath and by the time they get to hospital, they are extremely ill. And that’s what we are seeing that some of these people come in with very low oxygen saturations — … that’s the amount of oxygen that’s circulating in the blood — they come in very ill, and they deteriorate very quickly.”
She urged “that even if you have a little runny nose, you have a little cough, you go, you get checked to make sure this is what it is.
“And even while you are at home, especially persons with pre-existing conditions, if you notice at any point that you are vomiting or you have diarrhea, that’s not settling, and you’re feeling suddenly much worse, we ask that you seek urgent care.
“But the nature of COVID, the nature of COVID is that it is — and this is something that’s been reported repeatedly that persons can go from stable to completely unstable, and die in a very short space of time.”
By now, they [the government] should have realized that more is needed for proper health care. But, the whimsical bang guts one prefer to boast about sharing money while ignoring gaping holes in everything else, building all kinds of sand castles, using smoke screens and making bag a wind policies.
When I read that they said that the threshold for covid19 deaths was too high. I felt right away that they have been cooking the numbers all along. It is crystal clear to me that you cannot trust them in anything. The only ones who know the hidden truth is them, everybody else can only make good guesses and despite all this You never hear a word from the nations Judges or legal scholars. Recently some medical professionals have come forward but even the so-called plain talk Gonsalves critic has joined the rumours and confusion machine to further compound the covid19 problems. God help us all.
This is no time to blame authorities for not taking proper precaution; as it is beyond a year that the concern of this unpredictable pandemic diagnosed international risk. Yesterday I read where we in Canada and the US are being criticized for being “opinionated on what goes on the ground, but if we were there it would be a different case”. Perhaps you are correct, but COVID19 is here also; of which we have rules to follow and must adhered too.
In June 2020 out of share concern for my people (as is always our case towards our homeland), COVID19 posters AS A MEANS OF AWARENESS were constructed in various areas in SVG A Year later and the COVID numbers are rising in SVG. Who took HEED
I have watched the neglect to the lack of distancing, crowds dancing, singing, and socializing with no regards for mask. I have read and listened to all the remedies etc. the disregards to SCIENCE by even persons who once boosted and took advantage of the Education Revolution opportunities allocated to many who have benefited today.
Thanks to I-witness News for sharing Truth regardless, for keeping us up-to-date at home and within the diaspora. My statement in June 2020 to ANN: – “I have learnt that no matter where we reside within the universe, our childhood place lingers and yes; more so in times of crisis. COVID-19 poses danger and awareness is the beginning to the assurance of a safe community. It’s my way of saying to the people that I care. You are being thought of.”
The way it is going it’s only a matter of time before the whole hospital is COVID, we should of never been in this position, the government never listen and act properly they must take full responsibility for what they fail to do, putting the nations lives in danger
People, please get vac-c- nated, it could save life. Stop listening to all the b s.
I read on another Vincentian news outlet (https://news784.com/2021/10/08/possibility-to-eradicate-or-eliminate-covid-is-lost-who/) that the world health organisation has declared that covid19 is going to be around for a long time because some countries are refusing the vaccine. In SVG that is by some accounts around 10.3 % of the population. (https://annsvg.com/index.php/2021/10/07/ninety-nine-99-new-covid-19-cases/) So it stands to reason that in SVG, (part of the railway sleepers) the effects of covid19 will be felt for a long time to come.
Maybe, this is the rapture that the Bible speaks about because a lot more people are going to leave this life for the hereafter. I guess the majority of the ethnical makeup of the Vincentian demography are content if nothing is done to fight covid19 because there is not even a mask mandate in place. The Come-rod despite being a full Jackass is right about the covid19 vaccination drive.
The nursery rhyme Humpty Dumpty suddenly makes a lot of sense. (https://sharedheart.org/the-real-meaning-of-humpty-dumpty/)
Maybe if I quote Bob you will understand it better: “the heathen backs are against the wall”
When will we get it. Covid is a personal issue. Untill all Vincention begin to take responsibility for our selves and our families Covid19 will continue to affect us. Once we continue to not following the protocol we will continue to sick and die. This is not about government or Health system.
Wake up people it’s about us and our personal preservation. We have to love you and want you to survive.