Region Seven : Eighteen students living at the Government School dormitory at Waramadong, Region 7 have been tested positive with malaria, a disease caused by the anopheles mosquito. The students who hail from different parts of Region Seven recently returned to the school after spending the Christmas vacation in their respective villages.
Staff of the Regional Vector Control Department conducted smears on over 40 students and 18 tested positive, Minister of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran said the Health Ministry was alerted last evening of the situation and the Regional Vector Control staff carried out the smears.
An emergency medical mission is this morning on their way with the assistance of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).
Regional Health Officer (RHO) (ag) for Region 7, Merlene Ferrier is working closely with the GDF and Commodore Gary Best, Dr. Ramsaran organised the use of the army’s Sky Van aircraft to airlift 10 Ministry of Health workers to Kamarang Landing. From there they will travel by boat for one-and-a- half hours upriver to Waramadong. Part of the team will remain behind after conducting their work for the purpose of re-assessments.
There are about 900 students and 550 adults living in the village.
Through the GDF’s assistance, the team will take in medical supplies which include bales of long-lasting insecticide treated bed nets along with additional medication, spray cans with chemicals to spray the surroundings, and microscopes to conduct the
mass smears in the community.
The emergency team is headed by Dr. Reyaud Rahaman, Government Medical Officer. He is accompanied by four experienced microscopists of the National Malaria Control Programme who will be taking along the microscopes and other paraphernalia for diagnosing malaria. The team also comprises staff for spraying.
Along with the mass smears, an intense sensitisation exercise will be conducted accompanied by the distribution of flyers and the bed nets.
RHO Ferrier last Wednesday had collected from the Ministry of Health 5,000 of the treated nets for deployment in Region Seven.
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