Acting Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Hazel Laws, has sought to shed some light on the health hazard posed by the Zika virus to citizens and residents in St. Kitts and Nevis, while appearing on Wednesday’s edition of “Working for You”.
The Acting CMO noted that St. Kitts and Nevis and the region on a whole are faced with a “number of health challenges and the Zika virus is one of the emerging infectious diseases that is posing a serious threat to the Federation and to the islands in the region”.
She explained that the virus can be asymptomatic in the sense that persons can contract the virus but are unaware that they have it because they will not exhibit any of the symptoms.
She noted that literature suggests that 70 to 80 percent of infected persons can fall into this category.
Dr. Laws also made mention of pregnant expecting mothers and noted that they are at greater risk. “Pregnant females are particularly vulnerable to the Zika virus infection. And so if a pregnant woman becomes infected with the Zika virus, she is at risk for a number of outcomes,” she said. “She is at risk of having a miscarriage, a still birth or if the pregnancy continues she can give birth to a newborn with an abnormally small head.” Dr. Laws urged persons in the general public to check their surroundings for mosquito breeding sites and to heed the advice of the health authorities about eliminating the said sites and to avoid being bitten.
A press release was issued by the Ministry of Health on Friday, September 16, 2016, with the confirmation from the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) of three Zika cases in the Federation. The Ministry of Health has been updating the public on the precautions to take going forward. Since that time, there have been over 200 suspected reported cases in the Federation, according to statistics given by the Acting Chief Medical Officer.
Meanwhile Caretaker for St Christopher 8 of the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party, Dr. Terrance Drew says the Ministry appears not to be aware of what, since the victimization of the substantive holder of the post of Chief Medical Officer Dr Patrick Martin, who was removed from office, because he stopped an illegal stem cell research operation at the J N France General Hospital in St Kitts.
“This left the ministry without an appointed Chief Medical Officer at this critical time,” said Dr. Drew, who noted that Dr Martin has always made himself available on several talk shows educating the nation with vital information. He also used the regional and international announcement by Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs and Nevis’ Minister of Tourism and Health, Hon Mark Brantley that “Nevis was Zika-free” as a result the “ongoing educational activity of government having spent quite a bit of money on health education.” “This Minister of Health (Mark Brantley) has misrepresented the health status of this country. He does not understand the impact of his words on this country, which is deceptive,” said Dr. Drew.
Two days after the “Zika-free” statement, the Federal Ministry of Health confirmed the first three cases of the Zika virus. “The other issue with his statement is that he knows nothing about the virus as he has told the population that they are safe if you are pregnant and if you are pregnant there are no risks and all is safe. This type of statement is deceptive on behalf of the Nevis government,” said Dr Drew who called to the Federal Ministry of Health to take the presence of the Zika virus in St. Kitts and Nevis serious in an effort to protect the unborn children and the population.
“The Government needs to be forthright and do what has to be done,” said Dr Drew, who was supported by Opposition senator, the Hon Nigel Carty. Mr Carty accused the Government of St Kitts and Nevis of hiding the presence of the Zika virus in the Federation for months and then informing the world that both islands were “Zika free.”