The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation is concerned about the possibility of an outbreak of water-borne and vector-borne illnesses in the wake of Hurricane Dorian, a local representative said yesterday.

Dr Esther de Gourville, PAHO/WHO regional officer for the Americas, said there is a “high risk” of a “second wave of crisis” due to the “extensive flooding” caused by the monster storm and the “compromising of sewage systems” on the most impacted islands.

Dr de Gourville said sewage contamination, food-borne illnesses such as diarrhea, and vector-borne illnesses such as the dengue fever are all causes for concern, the response to which will require “assistance” for the next few weeks.

Dr de Gourville made her remarks during a press conference to outline exactly what PAHO/WHO is doing to assist the government of the Bahamas in conducting disaster relief efforts for residents of Grand Bahama and Abaco.

She said as it stands, PAHO/WHO is working closely with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to secure food supplies, safe drinking water and proper sanitation for those reeling in the storm’s aftermath. Additionally, she said the organisation is assisting in mobilising emergency medical teams to compliment the MOH’s services.

Dr de Gourville noted that a number of health facilities have been severely damaged due to Hurricane Dorian’s 185 mph winds and consequent flooding, and that PAHO/WHO is currently assessing how many facilities can be made functional in the short-term.

The Rand Memorial Hospital in Grand Bahama, which was flooded during the storm, is “maintaining service” but not accepting new patients, she said.

At present, Dr de Gourville said PAHO/WHO is operating out of the Marsh Harbour Clinic on Abaco, and has increased its search capacity on the impacted islands. Additionally, she said two teams from Samaritans Purse International Disaster Relief and Team Rubicon are currently providing “full hospital capacity service”, especially given the Rand Memorial hospital’s situation.

She also said some 100 people have already been airlifted by emergency rescue services, the majority of whom were Abaco residents.

However, Dr de Gourville said PAHO/WHO still has “a number of key priorities to address”, namely trying to prevent any outbreaks of food, water, or vector-borne illnesses.

“Due to the extensive flooding that has occurred, there’s likely to be some extreme contamination of the water and the water that is stagnating on the ground now in many locations,” she said.

“In that situation we can anticipate water-borne diseases and food-borne diseases. Water-borne and food-borne diseases, water-borne would be diarrhea diseases, and vector-borne, you run the risk of dengue fever and other infectious diseases.”

Dr de Gourville said PAHO/WHO is “not standing idly by”, and is prepared to “ramp up the responses to reduce the risk of outbreaks of these diseases”. She said PAHO/WHO is issuing public communication messages for the “safe-handling of food and water”.

“When food and water is delivered to the persons in need they will be pre-packaged so that there would be no need for people to be cooking or handling water to consume those items.

“So in the immediate aftermath, messages are being sent out on food and safe food handling, and safe water. How to make that safe.”

She added: “Clearly it is a desperate situation and stocks of food and water are being made available and will be delivered to the affected islands. There is a British vessel that is already positioned and providing water to persons who are on Abaco for example. And within a day or two you would see increasingly the ability to operate on the ground on those two islands and to provide the much needed relief that persons need.

“Arrangements are being made through for example United Nations agencies and other humanitarian agencies to secure food and water supplies and emergency medical equipment and emergency medical supplies for the affected population.”

Nonetheless, Dr de Gourville also commended the government for its disaster relief efforts.

“I think the government is doing a tremendous job in responding to this crisis and the coordination that is being done by (the National Emergency Management Agency) is unparalleled,” she said. “I think they’re doing a very good job.”