Last Updated on February 28, 2020, 7:13 AM AST by Anthony Morris
Basseterre, St Kitts, February 27, 2020 – Medical internist Dr Terrance Drew has appealed to the Timothy Harris administration to immediately request help from the Government of Cuba to send a specialist to Basseterre in the event someone becomes infected with the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Dr Drew, the St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) candidate for St Christopher 8, who also holds the health portfolio in the shadow cabinet, made the appeal during the monthly press conference of the SKNLP on Wednesday.
Pointing out that the twin-island federation lacks a specialist in infectious diseases, Dr Drew as he did on Tuesday’s “Ask the Leader,” called on the Timothy Harris-led government “to reach out to Cuba and ask Cuba to send the necessary specialist in the case that we might be hit with someone with the coronavirus.”
“This is a serious matter and I appeal to the Government. I am willing to speak to those who will listen at the leadership of the health sector that we need better preparation and to have the necessary specialist on the ground who would put in place the infrastructure to deal with any cases of the coronavirus.”
Italy and Iran once again reported big jumps in the number of infections. The pathogen has now invaded at least 47 nations, with California and Germany recording the first cases with no obvious source of transmission.
Sweden and Russia have currently become the latest countries to record cases of the deadly coronavirus which is sweeping the world at an alarming pace.
Health officials in Sweden have confirmed that a patient is under treatment at the Ryhov County Hospital in Jönköping. The hospital is situated 95miles (153km) east of the city of Gothenburg.
While two cases have also been recorded in Russia. Both patients are in Siberia – but are thought to be around 2,485miles(4,000km) apart.
The development comes after Germany announced its sixth case – a child in Munich who is reported to be in a stable condition.
Almost 10,000 people across the world have been infected, while the death toll has risen to 213 as the crisis continues to escalate.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
