Chairman of the COVID19 Subcommittee, Senator Dr. Jerome Walcott.
CHAIRMAN of the COVID-19 Subcommittee Senator Dr. Jerome Walcott has given the assurance that the Barbados government is not at odds with the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP) in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
During a press briefing on Saturday evening, Dr. Walcott said, “I want to put to rest the notion that has somehow gone abroad that BAMP and the government, or the Ministry of Health [and Wellness] (MOHW) are at odds as it relates to the matter of the management of COVID -19. There could be nothing further from the truth.”
BAMP has participated in the meetings of the Health EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) from time to time and they have agreed that they will again be very active in that Health EOC. Many members of BAMP have volunteered to be of assistance as it relates to the dissemination of reports and results and playing a more active role within the MOHW, at this time recognising the urgency and the importance of the current situation.”
The chairman highlighted concerns raised by BAMP as it relates to the relaxing of health checks being seen in some businesses. “And they ask that for the assistance in contact tracing, that they notice that some businesses were doing it – asking persons to write their name or to give a telephone number – and that in some entities it was just hand sanitising, but it seems as though the screening of temperatures had disappeared.”
“They advocated for the utilisation of more online shopping and curbside pick up for groceries, especially for the elderly and those who might have chronic diseases. In addition, they encourage the need for businesses and establishments to pay more attention to the square footage and adhere to the six foot, two metre rule as it relates to social distancing, especially in supermarkets and restaurants.”
Senator Walcott once again apologised for the delays in persons receiving test results, that have been seen particularly during the period of January 2nd and 8th.
“This affects all levels. It affects and has affected as it relates to contact tracing to some extent; as it relates to Barbadians who have returned to Barbados and who are longing to see their families and are being quarantined either in government facilities or in hotels. And of course visitors to Barbados, who expected to be out of a hotel for example for three days, for five days, they have made allowances for this. And then with this current situation they then have to stay longer in those hotels, depleting their resources and not being able to benefit from all that Barbados has to offer.
“We are not running away from it. We are not running away from the situation. It was addressed by the Prime Minister, we have brought on additional data entry people in the polyclinics. We have already recruited four additional doctors to be based in the Best-dos Santos lab to be responsible for disseminating results to various groups to the private sector, to those who are in quarantine, to those who are in hotels.
“We have gone further and we have enlisted the support of volunteers, I have mentioned from BAMP, to work at the Ministry to assist in the dissemination of these results and to ensure that we can become current as soon as possible.”
He also revealed that doctors have also been recruited to assist in the polyclinics.
“Assisting the medical officers of health who are now burdened with the testing and other responsibilities to allow them to do this and allow the functions of the polyclinics to continue.”