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PNCR’s
Response to the Guyana Flood Situation
From:
The General Secretary, To:
All Party Overseas Groups Matter:
The PNCR’s Response to the Guyana Flood Situation
Date: February 11, 2005 Re: Newspaper Articles on the Flood INTRODUCTION The
Party has been reporting on the technical medical aspects of the
recent flooding. These
reports have been based on those received by our representatives in
the field. In recent
times features in the local press have confirmed the contents of
these reports. The Party therefore considered it necessary to share with its
overseas groups, friends and supporters those press reports, which
are of this nature. Accordingly,
we forward for your reading and study articles from www.hardbeatnews.com,
Kaieteur News and Caribbean Graphic Online. Two
of these articles under the caption “Guyana
Death Toll from Flooding Rises Higher” and “Health
Risks Increase in Guyana”, which appeared in the Hardbeat
News and Caribbean Graphic respectively deal with the
effects of the Leptospirosis outbreak on the Guyanese Population. Attention
is drawn to the comments of the head of PAHO/WHO in the latter. Dr.
Bernadette Theodore-Gandhi is reported as saying that “Health workers should not focus solely on Leptospirosis. Leptospirosis
has a wide range of symptoms that can mimic other diseases. We
should be careful not to overlook the other diseases that may be a
result of the flood, such as tuberculosis or pneumonia”. The
article in the Kaieteur News points to the recommendation by the
World Bank Disaster Assessment Team that there was an urgent need to
repair and strengthen the East Demerara Water Conservancy Dam (EDWC)
and the drainage and irrigation systems before the next rainy
season. Another article in the Kaieteur News captioned “Overtopping
of Mahaica Creek Continues” refers to the overtopping of
the EDWC into the Mahaica area. According to the report, residents
termed this situation the worst flood waters they have experienced.
The waters have entered their homes and businesses. Below are the articles in Question:
Hardbeatnews, GEORGETOWN, Guyana - Friday, February 11, 2005: Guyana’s death toll from the flooding has risen to a whopping 33, according to officials of the country’s Ministry of Health. Twenty-two of the dead are suspected Leptospirosis cases while seven were blamed on drowning, three on dehydration and two on delayed care. Minister of Health Dr. Leslie Ramsammy yesterday made the disclosure in a statement issued to the media but added that he is optimistic that a “few of these cases will be removed … after our evaluation later in the evening.” Of the ‘lepto’ deaths, some 19 are reportedly men. Health workers continue to distribute doxycycline, the antibiotic used to contain the outbreak, and were reviewing hospital records to determine if other people have died from the disease. Leptospirosis is passed to following exposure to water contaminated with the urine of infected animals, especially rodents, according to the Center for Disease Control. – Hardbeatnews.com
Leptospirosis is a major concern in Guyana, as the number of deaths and suspected infected cases continues to rise. The bacterial disease is usually caused by exposure to water contaminated with the urine of infected animals. The People of Guyana refer to it as 'Flood Disease.' Twelve deaths have been confirmed as related to Leptospirosis. The rapid increase in suspected cases of leptospirosis has led to an overburden of the Georgetown Public Hospital, which is the only public hospital for Georgetown and the East Coast. All day people were lined up to get doxycyline as prophylactic treatment. Guyana’s Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy said via a GINA press release that 78 people were being monitored and 10 of them were suspected of having contracted the disease. He also said that of the 81 samples sent to Trinidad to be tested, 35 tests had been completed so far and of these seven tested positive. Dr. Bernadette Theodore-Gandi, PAHO/WHO representative in Guyana, warned that health workers should not focus solely on leptospirosis. "Leptospirosis has a wide range of symptoms that can mimic other diseases. We should be careful not to overlook the other diseases that may be a result of the flood, such as tuberculosis or pneumonia," she said. "In the coming weeks we should also be very alert to cases of vector-borne and water and food-borne diseases. The floods created an enormous breeding capacity for mosquitoes. We have to take into account that this may also lead to outbreaks of dengue." PAHO is actively monitoring new cases of leptospirosis and collaborating closely with the Ministry of Health in Guyana to prevent a further increase in cases. Prophylaxis is being distributed on a large scale in the flooded areas, with 120,000 persons already receiving a weekly preventive dose of 200 mg. of doxycycline. People coming from the flooded areas to mobile clinics who show symptoms of leptospirosis receive treatment. PAHO is also distributing health promotion and disease prevention messages through the newspapers, radio and posters. Guyana is already mobilizing retired nurses to return to the hospital. PAHO offered financial support to facilitate the recruitment and employment of retired nurses. PAHO also relieves the immediate need for additional space by facilitating 200 renovated cots and the purchase of extra mattresses. Georgetown Public Hospital has relocated the psychiatric clinic from the hospital in order to create room for the extra patients with flood-related diseases. Meanwhile, Nancy Rickford, Coordinator, at the Guyana Flood Relief Committee (Canada), has circulated an appeal from the Guyana Ministry of Health for at least 150,000 units of the antibiotic DOXYCYCLINE 100 mg, in either capsule or tablet form. ·
Conservancy must be strengthened – World Bank urgent disaster management plan needed The
World Bank Disaster Assessment Team estimates that it is urgent to
increase the capacity to effectuate repairs to strengthen the East
Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC) dam and the drainage and
irrigation systems in the short term, especially before the next
rainy season starts in June, to avert the threat of new flooding. Two
Dutch experts have proposed that a disaster management plan be
established for flooding situations before the upcoming May-June
rains. This
plan would include measurement of water levels of the EDWC and
actions that should be taken once critical levels are reached. The
World Bank has been evaluating the requirements for the next 3-12
months for immediate repairs and more long-term rehabilitation of
the drainage system and dam management in the affected regions. The
assessment found that the Crown Dam, closer to the urban areas, will
need strengthening as well. The
World Bank also envisages that a more comprehensive study of the
long-term requirements of the water management system will be
needed. They
have identified two areas of concern: the EDWC dam and the East
Demerara Coastal Zone. The
report stated that EDWC dam is an “old” and “fragile”
construction, consisting mainly of peat. In
many areas patchworks are covering ancient breaches or recent over
toppings. Long
stretches of the dam are covered with trees and vegetation. There
is widespread misbelief that trees strengthen the dam, while these
are actually causing weak spots, the report stated. The
first recommendations of the two experts are to substantially
upgrade the emergency works to strengthen the dam, using in
particular contractors with floating equipment. OCHA said. This
will improve the most critical stretches and create extra freeboard.
They
also suggested limiting the speed of small boats in the Conservancy
as their waves eat away the fragile top of the dam. On
the East Demerara Coastal Zone, the experts describe the flooding
situation as drastic and the first priority should be to get the
water out of this area. The
discharge can only be carried out through the sea wall, by making
use of the existing damaged outlet structures and pumping, they
said. The experts recommended that the dysfunctional outlets be
inspected and that customized solutions be identified for each
structure in order to facilitate the discharge. Further
to their assessment, the experts also propose that the following
measures be implemented before the coming rainy season of May-June: *Small
and feasible rehabilitation works on the recent patchworks on the
Conservancy dam should be carried out. *The
drainage functions of the outlet structures on the Conservancy dam
and the sea wall should be improved. The experts recognised that
there is no time for thorough construction works; however, they
believe that the control over the drainage situation can be improved
considerably if appropriate measures are implemented. As
a medium and long-term perspective, the experts also recommended
that rehabilitation works for the whole drainage system (outlets,
culverts, drains and EDWC dam) should be carried out to improve
preparedness for future flooding threats. The
results and first recommendations of the two Dutch experts have been
shared with relevant national authorities, including the Cabinet,
and with partner agencies, in particular the World Bank. The
UN Flash Appeal launched on Tuesday will provide the framework for
emergency and transitional assistance of the UN family in Guyana for
the next six months. The
UN Resident Coordinator, Youssef Mahmoud, with support from the UN
Country Team, will lead the process of eventually ensuring a
transition from the relief phase to rehabilitation. OCHA
and UNDP will be collaborating in UN Country Team disaster
preparedness strengthening in Guyana. At
the same time, UNDP is planning for the implementation of its
capacity building project presented as part of the UN Flash Appeal,
which proposes to contribute to the enhancement of disaster risk
management capabilities at the national level. ·
Overtopping of Mahaica Creek continues
Yesterday
marked day two of what Mahaica residents termed ‘the worst yet
experience' with the flood waters which had begun to enter their
homes and businesses. Residents
said the problem stems from the fact that the water from the East
Demerara Conservancy Dam is being blown into the Mahaica River. They
place the blame squarely on President Bharrat Jagdeo who they
complained ordered that the waters from the East Coast be blown into
the Mahaica Creek. The
waters have caused several residents of Unity/Vereeniging area to
relocate to their upper flats while shop owners are contemplating
their next move and several poultry farmers are already counting
their losses. Neighbourhood
Democratic Council overseer Diadat Harydat said that the overtopping
of the western embankment started at about 15:30hrs Tuesday and
lasted for about two hours, as result of the rising tide compounded
by the water from the East Coast that is being blown into the creek.
He said that through efforts on the part of several officials and
the NDC, a contractor worked through the night to shore up the
Belmont Road embankment with sandbags. In addition, a water pump was
installed at the number two sluice and this had temporarily
alleviated the situation. Yesterday,
the shoring up continued with over 1000 sandbags but all in vain as
the waters over flowed a few yards down the Belmont road with much
more force. “This
thing ah de worst me ever see and me live here all me life… the
water never come up so high,” one irate woman said. Overseer
of the Unity/Vereeniging NDC, Diadat Harydat said he has never seen
flooding to such an extent at Belmont. The waters on Tuesday flowed
over the road at a constant depth of six inches for about two hours.
The overseer as well as residents reported that Tuesday's waters
flooded shops and further compounded the soggy and smelly situation
in the area. At
Mary's Hope sluice, a pump was in operation blowing waters from
Mary's Hope into the Mahaica River via the Mary's Hope sluice which
drains the Supply area and several rice farm lands. But
this effort was in vain. When Kaieteur News arrived, the water had
already started creeping across the road and back into the Mary's
Hope canal. This also resulted in some erosion of the road. One
of the pump operators said they were using the pump in an effort to
save their rice crops and to keep the water from rising in
residents' yards. At
the Unity/Vereeniging Mahaica area on the Belmont Main Road, the
water had risen to as much as a foot in some parts. Within minutes
of Kaieteur News' arrival, the water had covered parts of the main
road. In
some cases, the water which was blocked by the sand bags, diverted
and made its way to the road through several embankment side shops. The
operators of a hymac, which was being used to shore up the old
slaughter house dam, had to be abandoned by its operators as the
waters quickly surrounded it. “We
been trying to save the water from coming over but we had to run and
leave this thing cause the dragline almost fall in the creek…the
water just raise fast and start over flowing more than the day
before,” one of the dragline operators reported. When
Kaieteur News visited the dam, water was gushing over it in two
areas. The dragline which was tilted towards the river was
immovable. The
NDC overseer said efforts will be made to improve the situation but
lamented that there are no guarantees in some areas.
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