It appears local doctors have concerns about the way in which the situation, relative to the presence of coronavirus is being handled in this country.
A person familiar with the situation, said that given those apprehensions, doctors have decided as a fraternity, through the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP), to set up a task force, through which they will craft guidelines for how their offices should operate in the period of this global pandemic.
On Saturday evening health officials announced that Barbados was officially moving from stage 1 to stage 2 of the National Covid-19 Preparedness Plan, signifying human-to-human in-country cases. As of yesterday, Barbados has recorded 14 cases of coronavirus virus, comprising nine women and five men.
When contacted yesterday afternoon by The Barbados Advocate, President of BAMP, Dr. P. Abdon DaSilva, confirmed the creation of that task force. While not going deep into the details, DaSilva disclosed that through the task force they will be seeking to not only assist doctors in determining how best to manage their offices, but to devise and disseminate public health messages, which can be used to help keep citizens safe.
“The task force is for doctors to come to some common ground on how to operate in this period. BAMP is working assiduously to address the concerns of doctors and the society at large,” the BAMP head stated.
He went on to reveal that the decision to establish the task force, came after a mass meeting BAMP had scheduled for last Wednesday, had to be cancelled following the announcement of the first two cases of covid-19 being recorded in this country and the restriction placed on public gathering to 100 persons. Dr. DaSilva told this newspaper that on Thursday evening the task force held a preliminary meeting, followed by a meeting of a wider cross section of the medical fraternity on Friday evening, utilising the zoom platform. That meeting, he indicated, attracted both members and non-members of BAMP.
Meanwhile, the medical practitioner gave the assurance that when the initial work of the task force is complete, they will make the necessary information available to the public.(JRT)