Unvaccinated healthcare workers denied entry to their workplaces under new COVID-19 measures, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony said the fallout could strain the public health system to reduce some of its services.
During the COVID-19 Daily Update on Friday, Anthony said the current health care system is operating with the capacity it currently has because many people have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 or have not. not presented a negative PCR test result in order to be able to access their workplace.
“If people don’t come to work, it could in some cases cause us to cut back on some of the health services that we currently provide in the two major institutions where we are affected, namely Linden and Georgetown,” Anthony said.
Following a two-week moratorium, public hospitals have again imposed a requirement that staff must show either proof of COVID vaccination or a negative PCR result in order to be allowed entry into the hospital. institutions.
Anthony said unvaccinated healthcare workers put themselves at risk on a daily basis. He noted that they interact with a number of people on a daily basis and that apart from using personal protective equipment (PPE), they should protect themselves by getting vaccinated.
“It’s not an emotional issue. This is a case where your life may be in danger and the only way to protect yourself is to get the vaccine. I hope that common sense will prevail and that they will go to be vaccinated… ”, he declared.
With regard to the possibility of reducing the services offered, he mentioned that the administrations of the two establishments which were significantly affected have taken certain measures to ensure that the services are available. He added, however, that the ministry would take a close look at the situation every day and every shift and then make decisions.
“The position that some people have of not protecting themselves goes against any medical education one would have received during their school years and goes against the science, so I Really urges our healthcare workers who have not yet been vaccinated to take a very close look at the issue, ”he added.
Anthony said he had seen a number of these workers say they did not have enough information about the vaccines. However, he said that at the two facilities in Georgetown and Linden, prior to the implementation of the ordinances published in The Gazette, several education sessions were held to ensure that workers’ questions about vaccines were given a responnse.
“There’s absolutely no excuse for someone not to understand right now what types of vaccines we have, how it works. If they have questions about side effects and so on, all these questions were asked and answered and people are aware of those answers… both at Linden Hospital and Georgetown Hospital, ”he added.
