ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Well being Minister Phillip Telesford Monday stated {that a} weeklong convention reviewing the actions taken by the island to take care of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic would supply a possibility to gather info that might lead to an enchancment in public well being response within the eventuality of one other pandemic.
“This train holds important significance because it gives Grenada with a possibility to look at and accumulate information obligatory for enhancing its public well being response system at a strategic degree,” Telesford advised the “COVID-19 After Motion Evaluation” stakeholders convention.
“The COVID-19 pandemic introduced all the world to a standstill, and undoubtedly, a major variety of people on this room this morning can vividly recall the interval of the pandemic that had a profound impression on each side of life and our economies globally.”
Telesford stated that the introduction of the virus to Grenada had a right away impact on the nation’s customary lifestyle, with the implementation of public well being measures necessitating the prohibition of elementary actions “like going to church the way in which we all know it and the distances that we needed to hold, the lengthy strains on the banks, on-line studying (and) on-line conferences.
“We’re nonetheless recovering…this after-action overview goals to strengthen our public well being response pillars, facilitate consensus constructing, doc classes realized, establish short-, medium- and long-term processes for enhancing future occasions together with pandemic preparedness by embracing finest practices, stopping errors, and strengthening well being programs,” he stated.
Grenada’s COVID-19 information put the island within the classification of endemic, and Chief Medical Officer Dr Shawn Charles stated that the essential subsequent steps for Grenada embody the event of an infectious illness emergency plan that comes with responses to numerous brokers.
“Not simply respiratory sickness as a result of we acknowledge that is essential, but additionally the event of a well being emergency heart and numerous Normal Working Procedures (SOPs) that will likely be added to our multi-hazard plan and the conduct of stimulation workout routines, which will likely be essential to check the responses that we put in our plan,” he stated.
“Which means we have now loads of work to do within the coming months. I do know work has already began on a few of these actions, and all of that is to make sure that we’re able to face any future well being safety occasions,” he advised the convention.
The authorities stated that the overview is linked on to the 2020 World Financial institution-activated Contingent Emergency Response Part (CERC) for Dominica, Grenada, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
CERC permits for the fast reallocation of funds from ongoing operations to cowl rapid wants in a catastrophe or public well being emergency.
The CERC was activated for Dominica, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines beneath the Organisation of Japanese Caribbean (OECS) Regional Well being Undertaking, for a complete of US$10 million with US$2.5 million allotted to Grenada, three million US {dollars} for Dominica, and US$4.5 million for St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
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