Imbert condemns alarmist SARS reports

HEALTH MINISTER Colm Imbert has slammed certain sections of the media for being grossly irresponsible in spreading “alarmist” reports about the presence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Trinidad and Tobago. Imbert declared that to date there has been no evidence of SARS in the country.

Speaking to Newsday following yesterday’s People’s National Movement (PNM) General Council meeting at Balisier House, Imbert said Chief Medical Officer Dr Rampersad Parasram briefs him virtually on a daily basis and is the leader of a special team established to ensure that all the necessary steps are being taken to deal with the virus. Parasram was to address the nation last night on “our current state of preparedness”, the symptoms of a person infected with SARS and what steps should be taken to treat such an individual. “I am satisfied that Dr Parasram’s and his team’s approach is a competent approach,” the Minister stated. Parasram also has full authorisation to update the media on any and all developments regarding steps being taken to deal with SARS.

However Imbert lamented: “What I am a bit disappointed at however are the alarmist stories in some of the newspapers where it’s an obviously a deliberate attempt to create panic and hysteria and it’s totally unnecessary. “I would ask people to just cease and desist from that kind of thing. We have not had any cases of SARS so far. When I read these stories that there is a suspected case here and a suspected case there and when we investigate, we find that the person does not have it, does not have the symptoms, in the case of the lady on the paper yesterday (Saturday). The person did not even have a fever. If you don’t have a fever, how on earth could you have SARS? Its not healthy, this situation.”

Symptoms of persons infected with SARS include a high fever (over 38 Degrees Celsius), coughing or difficulty in breathing. He also indicated that reports concerning the hiring of Keith Toby as the North-West Regional Health Authority’s (NWRHA) new human resources vice-president had been dealt with by NWRHA chairman Dr Patrick Watson. Imbert dismissed the Medical Professionals Association of Trinidad and Tobago’s contentions that the country’s doctors were now “twice as poor than we (doctors) were in 1981” and the improved compensation packages now being offered to doctors could not satisfy their financial needs.“ From my information, that is not correct,” the Minister said.