239 patients hospitalised with dengue – MoH

– Opposition calls on Govt to tackle rise in dengue cases as priority

The Ministry of Health on Thursday evening confirmed that there are 2169 confirmed cases of dengue in Guyana, of which 239 patients are hospitalised. In addition, 11 dengue-related deaths have been recorded for the year.
The Ministry in a release to the media stated that to ensure the adequate prevention, diagnosis, and management of dengue, it has activated a Technical Working Group responsible for assessing, recommending, and implementing actions to mitigate this public health event.
“As recommended by the Technical Working Group, several of these measures include, a heightened public awareness campaign to promote environmental sanitation and hygienic practices, and, public awareness on the prevention of dengue and other mosquito-borne diseases. These include several appearances on radio and television stations and frequent messages on the Ministry’s social media platforms,” the Ministry added.
Further, to ensure prevention and a curb in transmission, several environmental and entomological measures have been increased across Guyana such as fogging (fumigation), residual spraying, home inspections, and distribution of larvicidal chemicals to communities through the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NCDs).
However, the Ministry has also increased the procurement and distribution of rapid diagnostic test kits and other laboratory supplies and equipment to ensure adequate diagnostic capacity.
“Considering this disease does not have a cure, medication and medical supplies have been distributed in adequate quantity to all regions to ensure symptomatic treatment of all patients throughout the healthcare system in keeping with a revised national treatment guideline.”
Meanwhile, the Opposition, A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC), is urging the Government to give priority to the rising number of dengue fever cases in Guyana, noting that it is a matter of public health significance.
“The Opposition calls for responsible behaviour by the Government and all citizens to ensure that there is a clean and clear environment and that there is rapid virus detection to provide early prediction of any possible epidemic,” APNU/AFC stated on Thursday.
Dengue is a viral infection that spreads from mosquitoes to people. Most people who get dengue will not exhibit symptoms, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), but for those who do, the most common symptoms are high fever, headaches, body aches, nausea and rashes.
The Opposition also acknowledged the large number of persons who may be infected with the virus but may not have tested for it, given their lack of symptoms.
“With the rise of cases of dengue at a steady pace, Guyana seems to be heading towards a public health crisis. It must be further noted that two weeks ago, Region Six recorded in excess of 107 cases of dengue, with 24 cases in 24 hours, according to the Regional Democratic Council (RDC),” the APNU/AFC statement read.
Two children – a nine-year-old and an 11-year-old – who were infected with dengue, died on Saturday while receiving medical treatment in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).
The Region of the Americas has recorded a significant increase in dengue cases in the last few months. They have recorded 2,102,848 cases from January to June 2023, of which 3210 were classified as severe dengue, with 876 deaths. The highest number of cases within this region were observed in Brazil, Peru and Bolivia.