Deyalsingh: Couva Hospital can quarantine patients

THE Couva Hospital will be set aside as a 230-bed quarantine facility in the event of a Covid-19 outbreak in TT, it was said at Thursday’s post-Cabinet briefing at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s. Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said TT’s preparedness for any large-scale Covid-19 outbreak will consist of “five concentric rings,” that is, hospitals.

Caura Hospital has four beds with 20 more to come within a fortnight, he said, while St James Hospital has a 67-bed facility.

At Port of Spain General Hospital, he is eyeing the old Costaat building for a quarantine unit. Isolation facilities will also be set up in Tobago, he said,

Deyalsingh said Couva Hospital is a level three facility with an intensive care unit and operating facilities.

National Security Minister Stuart Young later said the hospital is very isolated and has 230 beds.

Deyalsingh said, “We are looking forward, to the future. We have the capacity to deal with it.”

He said the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said all countries must get used to novel diseases being the new normal such as past outbreaks of Ebola, Chikungunya and Zika. “Cabinet agreed to set up a standing committee on emerging diseases,” he related.

The thrust now is to take all reasonable steps to prevent the entry to TT of Covid-19. “There is no place for panic in any of this. We’ll conduct ourselves responsibly.” He promised transparency by the Government and urged people to ignore non-official posts on social media. “The Government is in control of the situation. We are ready.”

Deyalsingh urged all to get the current flu vaccine, to indirectly help against Covid-19. “The flu vaccine will boost your immune system. You’ll only be battling one virus instead of two.” Those most at risk from Covid-19 are the elderly, those with depressed immune systems, diabetics, smokers and people with high blood pressure.

Otherwise he said TT has always had protocols against disease outbreaks such as meningitis and flu, which have been streamlined for Covid-19. Deyalsingh urged all to wash hands and not touch their face. Told of rumours of the virus in TT, Deyalsingh denied that, saying only CARPHA has the ability to detect it.

“I have complete faith. CARPHA has got nothing to hide. They are not politically motivated.”