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LONG WAIT FOR HELP
ANOTHER student attending the University of the Southern Caribbean (USC) in Maracas, St Joseph, has contracted Influenza A/H1N1 and the family says it is all the school's fault for not informing the student body about the first case in a timely manner.
In addition to that, they criticised the Ministry of Health for not implementing proper protocols and facilities to deal with people who contracted the virus because the way people were being treated left much to be desired.
The student, Danesha Matthews, tested positive for the virus on Monday, making her the second student from that school to be confirmed for the virus in less than six days. She was suffering from several of the symptoms for several days, but by lunch time yesterday evening, the 20-year-old was unable to move due to a high fever and immense body pains so her family rushed her to the Arima Health Facility.
"We took her to Arima (Health Facility), because that is where she went the first time and they said to come back if she got worse. But now she is worse and we have been waiting here for more than two hours in the hot sun because they have no wheelchair to give her and it have no parking in the back here," according to one of her relatives, who preferred to remain anonymous.
The relative, who spoke to the Express via telephone yesterday, said she had no idea why the Ministry of Health was telling people to come to the hospitals when they had no proper facilities in place to deal with the people suspected for swine flu.
"After they confirmed that she had swine flu, they did not even give her any Tamiflu. All she got was Panadol and Benadryl, and that didn't do anything to help," she said.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Anton Cumberbatch said in the past, however, that Tamiflu can only be given to patients 48 hours after they contracted the flu, otherwise it will not be of any use.
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...Anger in Scarborough
CHAOS erupted at the Scarborough Regional Hospital yesterday, where patients suspected of swine flu assembled for treatment, at the former geriatric ward, on the compound.
Patients said even the bathroom facilities were unusable and they felt they were being treated as "castaways" of the society.
Some patients complained about the the long wait to be screened while others complained of the lack of facilities.
"The place is dirty. I spoke to the nurse about the place being dirty, and another nurse said she is not a cleaner, that's not her job," one irate patient said.
"There is no toilet paper for us to use, where the bathroom facility is located," a Lambeau resident added.
"My granddaughter had fever for two days now and I said let me bring her to make sure everything is ok, and up to now late afternoon we have not seen a doctor as yet," a Calder Hall resident said.
After protesting on Monday parents of pupils attending the Signal Hill Government Primary School, the school reopened yesterday but only a few students turned out to write the National Test .
Two students attending the school were tested positive for swine flu on Monday. In addition pupils attending the Signal Hill Government, Scarborough RC, Montgomery Primary, Bon Accord Government and Scarborough Methodist have also tested positive for swine flu.
Bishop's High School, where a female student was among the first persons on the island to test positive for the virus, remains closed.
Scarborough RC and Montgomery Primary all remained open yesterday.
There are 16 confirmed cases in Tobago according to the Ministry of Health. Of those cases, eight persons have recuperated from the virus and are back to regular activities.
