Supreme Court seeks to combat staff’s COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy

…embarks on sensitisation campaigns, vaccine drives

The Supreme Court of Judicature has embarked upon a series of COVID-19 sensitisation programmes to increase its staffers’ awareness of the deadly virus. The campaigns are also aimed at combating vaccination hesitancy, the Supreme Court said in a statement on Wednesday.
The first of these sessions was facilitated last year by Clinical Psychologist Dr. Nadine Ramsaran, who dealt with coping with the psychological effects of COVID-19. Director of the University of Guyana School of Medicine, Dr Reeta Gobin, shared information in the second talk regarding the transmission of the virus.
The third health talk was done by Head of the National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS), Dr Tariq Jagnarine. He delivered a virtual presentation on the benefits of taking the COVID-19 vaccines, proof of the vaccines’ effectiveness, and the necessity of protecting oneself and each other from the virus. Dr Jagnarine also addressed the general concerns of staffers in relation to the safety of the vaccine, especially among persons with co-morbidities.
Another COVID-19 virtual sensitisation session for staffers is scheduled for Thursday. Head of Internal Medicine and Cardiology at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, Dr Mahendra Carpen, will facilitate this session.
Apart from these sessions, the Judiciary, in collaboration with the Health Ministry, has embarked on a vaccination drive for its staffers. This exercise commenced in March, and will continue in the months ahead. A special vaccination site has been set up at the Umana Yana in Georgetown for this purpose.
According to the media release, a large number of court staffers have already been vaccinated, while others are slated to take the jab at the next vaccination exercise. The Supreme Court has said the vaccination exercises were informative and well received by its employees, many of whom have indicated their intention to take the vaccine.
These sessions were hosted on Zoom, and were attended by staffers from courts as far away as in Lethem, on the Corentyne, in Essequibo, and at Linden. Cognizant of the fact that vaccination alone cannot end the COVID-19 pandemic, the Supreme Court has reinforced the implementation of its health and safety protocols, which were established with assistance from the Health Ministry.
Last month the Judiciary announced that a “few” of its staff members had tested positive for COVID-19. Taking this into consideration, the Judiciary underscored that the health and safety of all court staffers, their family members and court users is of paramount concern.
Given that the Judiciary is designated as an essential service to the populace, the Supreme Court said, “Management wishes to also reiterate that we do not take lightly our obligation to provide a safe work environment for our staff and all our court customers, and will continue to take every precaution necessary to promote and maintain the health and well-being of us all.”
Since onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Guyana, the management of the Supreme Court has said, it has done everything in its power, and has taken every precaution, including, but not limited to, regular sanitisation and fumigation, and the provision of personal protection equipment for staff.
The Supreme Court has been providing free transportation to and from work for staff, to minimise the risk associated with the use of public transportation. Management has also stationed community health workers at court entrances. Virtual platforms are being used to conduct trials and hearings.
The Supreme Court has also been paying Eureka Labs for conducting COVID-19 testing for its staffers. The Supreme Court has active COVID-19 management committees which meet regularly. (G1)