Tobago nurses' covid19 concerns covered

Even as the island recorded 34 confirmed covid19 cases on Tuesday, the TT Registered Nursing Association (TTRNA) gave Tobago a “thumbs up” for its management of the pandemic thus far.

In a statement on Tueday, the Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development revealed another individual has tested positive for the virus.

The division added the number of active covid19 cases being treated on the island now stands at 27.

It said some 136 people have been discharged from quarantine facilities in Tobago

Despite the increase in covid19 cases, TTRNA president Idi Stuart commended the island’s handling of the pandemic.

“By and large, the association is 95 per cent comfortable with what is going on in Tobago thus far. Tobago has it under control,” he told Newsday on Tuesday.

Noting covid19 patients are being treated at various facilities at the old Scarborough General Hospital, Fort King George, Stuart said the facilities are adequately staffed.

“They have sufficient staff and personal protective equipment. So the association will want to commend the new secretary for health, wellness and family development, Tracy Davidson-Celestine, for the measures she would have put in place.”

Stuart said unlike some of its counterparts in Trinidad, the Tobago Regional Health Authority has been able to treat with many of the issues affecting nursing personnel with respect to covid19.

However, he said Tobago nurses are concerned about some minor infrastructural issues.

“They talked about having screens put up in front of the nurses' desks to prevent persons coming too close to the nursing station.”

Stuart said they are also calling for some of the measures that are already in place to ensure physical distancing at public and private institutions to  be implemented at nurses’ stations.

“They want the same measures they implement all over: proper spacing, those markers and this plastic glass that would prevent any mucus getting into the nurses’ station.

“Because they interact with everybody, so before you even get an opportunity to assess the person, the person is already speaking to you directly. And persons who come into the hospital would be ill. So that is the only little concern.”

Stuart said the association will continue to monitor Tobago’s handling of covid19.

“It is a fluid situation and as the numbers continue to rise we would continue to monitor the effectiveness of the measures they have put in place.”

He said Trinidad “the large numbers are outstripping the system and resulting in people having to be quarantined at home rather than being quarantined in the state institutions.

“But, for now, the system (Tobago) is able to manage it, from the information we are getting so far.”

Last week Davidson-Celestine revealed there was a backlog of covid19 swabs awaiting testing.

She said the division's polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machine could only do two tests an hour.

“Because of the demand that we currently have on hand, we have a backlog of about 127 cases, and we have been looking at different pathways in which we can treat with the backlog within the shortest order," she said.

PDP deputy leader Dr Faith BYisrael called for testing capacity on the island to be enhanced, as covid19  had now reached the community spread stage.

Principal Medical Officer (Epidemiology) Dr Naresh Nandram, in a press conference on Monday, said Tobago could send its backlog to Trinidad for quick testing.