St. Lucia is setting plans in motion as the world reels against the backdrop of the Hantavirus and a possible Ebola outbreak.
The island’s Health Minister Moses Jn Baptiste said this week that St. Lucia’s health departments were moving swiftly to ensure that all safeguards are in place in preparation for possible infections locally.
While the health minister was clear that there was no immediate threat at the moment, he understood that the situation could change drastically in a short time. “This most recent Ebola Virus outbreak which is mainly in the North-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, while at this time poses no threat to us in our region of the Eastern Caribbean, it is very important for us to be aware of it and it is very important for us to prepare as a country and as a region and to strengthen our protocols.”
This Ebola outbreak marks the third such Ebola outbreak after the 2007 and the 2012 incidents. The new Bundibugyo strain has a mortality rate of up to 50% with no readily available vaccine or treatment.
“While the World Health Organization (WHO) has not yet declared a pandemic, the health minister advises extreme caution and preparedness. “Although it is not a pandemic, under the international health regulations it indicates that this extraordinary event may spread internationally, and it may require a coordinated international response.”
The United States has since reported one case. There are 10 confirmed cases of Ebola, 336 suspected, and 88 deaths in the DRC. Among the dead are at least four health workers.
This Ebola outbreak comes fresh on the heels of an outbreak of the rat-borne hantavirus abroad cruise ship MV Hondius which required 16 Americans to be flown to a medical facility in Nebraska.
Moses JnBaptiste spoke Monday at the weekly government press briefing where he also addressed questions about bed bug infestations at the Dr. Betty Wells Urban Polyclinic and the La Clery Health Centre. The minister assured that both facilities were thoroughly checked, no evidence of an infestation was found at the La Clery facility. He revealed that the polyclinic was rid of the problem and constant monitoring would continue.
The minister also reported that the St. Jude Hospital transition was ongoing and is expected to be completed on schedule.