PAHO Office assisting Barbados and other countries with their health services response to COVID-19

THE PAHO Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean has supported countries under its representation, in developing COVID-19 pandemic preparedness and response plans to ensure a well-coordinated and effective response to the pandemic.

Dr. Rufus Ewing, PAHO/WHO Advisor for Health Systems and Services, acknowledged the above during a recently held virtual press briefing for regional journalists, as PAHO/WHO explored the topic, “Is the COVID-19 outbreak over in the Eastern Caribbean? Situation updates and considerations in adjusting public health and social measures, in the context of COVID-19”.

Dr. Ewing pointed out that Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries (ECC) expanded and reorganised their health services with the development of quarantine and isolation and treatment facilities, to adequately respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. PAHO provided technical assistance to facilitate this response.

“PAHO supported Barbados and the ECC in building capacity to model COVID-19 case projections and resource needs, to effectively respond to and manage COVID-19 cases,” Dr. Ewing noted.

He further stated that the protection of Health Care Workers (HCWs) represents the second pillar of PAHO’s response to COVID-19 and in this regard, PAHO conducted training in infection prevention and control with the proper use of personal protection equipment (PPE) and face masks for all HCWs, including those recruited locally and from overseas, specifically for the COVID-19 response.

PAHO also provided Barbados and the ECC with tools and training to conduct Health Care Worker COVID-19 exposure risk assessment and management, and provided countries with PPEs for the protection of HCWs. This provision included 4 000 PPE kits, 136,910 surgical masks, 940 N95 masks, 12,900 surgical gowns, 660 protective goggles and 27,900 examination gloves. (RSM)