Jamaican are now in shock as to the tragedy that's unfolding
in two (2) of our nations public Hospitals.
There has been an outbreak of a bacterial infection at both
the University Hospital of the West Indies and the Cornwall Regional Hospital
since June 2015 as reported in the article “42
infected babies at 2 hospitals; 18 dead”, published Tuesday, October 20,
2015, The Jamaica Observer.
During this period of four (4) months, the Ministry of
Health as kept quiet the infection of some forty two (42) newborn babies with
an illness that killed eighteen (18) babies.
We are just learning of this officially on Tuesday October 20th
2015 via the Jamaica Gleaner and the Jamaica Observer.
Even the foreign media has picked up the story as reported
in the article “Jamaica
battles hospital infections that have killed 18 babies in three months”,
published Tuesday 20 October 2015 by Sandra Laville, The UK Guardian.
Even more troubling is that the statistics weren’t revealed
by the Minister of Health Dr. Fenton Ferguson. Rather it was National Epidemiologist
Dr Karen Webster who revealed the information in a Powerpoint presentation. But
if you really want to get technical, the news first broke light on Abka Fitz-Henley Twitter account
@AbkaFitzHenley:
JUST
IN: Medical personnel at University Hospital says a mystery bug is suspected to
have killed several new born babies at the facility.
— Abka
Fitz-Henley (@AbkaFitzHenley) October
16, 2015
At the time the news broke on Nationwide News website on
Friday October 16th 2015, it was not officially confirmed by the MOH
(Ministry of Health) as reported in the article “Mystery
Bug Killing Babies at UHWI?” published Oct 16, 2015 by Abka Fitz-Henley, Nationwide News.
But that veil of silence soon broke as medical staff got to
talking to the media.....
You can go to that tweet and read the rest, which reveals
that the infection that's killing the babies is actually Klebsiella pneumoniae and Serratia.
BREAKING: MoH has not disclosed name of agent. Sources say its #serratia & potentially deadly #klebsiella bacteria - http://t.co/iF1fhYKeFZ
— Abka Fitz-Henley (@AbkaFitzHenley) October 18, 2015
It took the Jamaica Gleaner and the Jamaica Observer a full
three (3) days to finally pick up on this and figure out that it was an
infection caused Klebsiella
pneumoniae and Serratia
as reported in the article “Infectious
Bacteria Blamed For 18 Baby Deaths At Two Hospitals”, published Tuesday
October 20, 2015, The
Jamaica Gleaner.
So what has the
Minister of Health, Dr. Fenton Ferguson planning to do? But more interestingly,
what is Klebsiella
pneumoniae and Serratia?
18 babies die from
Klebsiella pneumoniae and Serratia - Why lack of Water caused the Babies to die
from common Bacteria
Klebsiella
pneumoniae and Serratia
are both rod-shaped bacteria of the Enterobacteriaceae family. Klebsiella pneumoniae was
discovered by German microbiologist Edwin Klebs (1834–1913) and both bacteria
love plants and animals alike, using both as hosts and vector.
Like MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), they
spread by contact with bodily fluids from infected persons left on surfaces. Also,
there is no known drug or active agent that can be used to treat infections
caused by either bacteria.
As such, the babies most likely got infected by the doctors
and nurses who carried the diseases from their homes. They themselves would
show no symptoms, but in the process of interacting with the babies, they
infected them i.e. Typhoid Mary type scenario.
Due to the lower than normal levels of sanitation in the
hospitals cause by the lack of potable water as well as lack of constant cleaning
of surface and possibly lack of changing or using latex gloves or other PPE
(Personal Protective Equiptment), the Klebsiella pneumoniae and Serratia spread
rapidly by doctors and nurses coming in contact with the babies and touching
infected surfaces.
Being as the babies have a weaker immune system, they easily
succumbed and died. Isolation and decontamination using disinfectants will have
to be done to cleanse all surface that the Klebsiella pneumoniae and Serratia is
growing on, waiting to infect more babies and patients with weakened immune
systems.
First thing first, aside from covering up the deaths, the
Minister of Health Dr., Fenton Ferguson held a meeting with SEHRA (South Easter
Regional Health Authority) on Saturday October 17th 2015 as noted in
Abka Fitz-Henley Twitter account
@AbkaFitzHenley:
BREAKING: Photo: Health Minister meeting with SEHRA & UHWI management who he summoned to a meeting Saturday morning pic.twitter.com/Q8XHpQh4yN
— Abka Fitz-Henley (@AbkaFitzHenley) October 18, 2015
A Press Conference was then held at Jamaica House on Tuesday
October 20th 2015 as noted in Abka Fitz-Henley Twitter account
@AbkaFitzHenley:
As usual, he appears to be only just learning of these developments
while speaking as he declared that's he's called in the Calvary from CPHA
(Caribbean Public Health Agency) as well as from PAHO (Pan-American Health
Organization), quote: “As a precautionary measure, I spoke with the executive
director of the Caribbean Public Health Agency and they are on standby to give
any assistance we may require. In addition, I have been informed that there are
two additional persons coming from PAHO”.
Again, Abka
Fitz-Henley Twitter account @AbkaFitzHenley confirms this:
NOW: Health Minister says infection prevention advisor and 2 experts from PAHO are due in JA shortly as Ministry battles infection spread
— Abka Fitz-Henley (@AbkaFitzHenley) October 20, 2015
The Minister of Health Dr. Fenton Ferguson has also
confirmed that the disease was indeed Klebsiella pneumoniae and Serratia and that
eighteen (18) babies had died, according to Abka Fitz-Henley Twitter account
@AbkaFitzHenley:
RECAPE: Gov't has confirmed @NationwideRadio report that deadly Serratia & Klebsiella infections have been affecting JA. 18 babies dead.
— Abka Fitz-Henley (@AbkaFitzHenley) October 20, 2015
So it basically has come to this; babies dying because of
the negligence of the Ministry of Health to address known deficiencies in the
health sector as revealed by the Health Audit in September 2015 as reported in
my blog article
entitled “Audit
of Public Health Care System revealed - How the Minister of Health plans to
correct these problems”.
Which begs the question, what was in the Health Audit? Did it
include information about the Klebsiella
pneumoniae and Serratia
infections and deaths? Worse, did the Minister of Health know all this information
all along and chose not to reveal it for fear of losing a General Election?
Diseases cause by
lack of Sanitation spreading - GOJ set to lose General Election as the Blood of
Babies on their hands
As a Sciences, specifically Physics Major at the MICO University College where I’m doing
my Professional Diploma in Teaching, this is pretty shocking.
But I’d expected this, given the drought, which made disease
spread possibly due to reduced levels of sanitation as predicted by Dr. Michael
Taylor, Climatologists at the UWI as per my blog article
entitled “Dr.Taylor
links Climate Change to increase in Diseases in Jamaica - Dengue, Pink Eye and
Zika Virus coming and Asthma rising”.
Dengue Fever and Zika Virus from Mosquito bites is still
possible as the Aedes Aegypti
mosquito is on the rise. But diseases related to the reduce level of
sanitation, especially among children who have weaker immune systems such as
Hand, Foot and Mouth disease are already starting to occur as reported in my blog article
entitled “ 313
Cases of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease in Jamaican Schools - Why the Coxsackie
Virus thrives in a Drought”.
So this was expected as far as I was concerned, just not in
so dramatic a fashion, as four (4) months is a long time to keep the death of
eighteen (18) babies secret. Worse, it now appears that MRSA
(Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) may also be spreading within the
Bustamante Hospital for Children Hospital, according to Abka Fitz-Henley Twitter account
@AbkaFitzHenley:
"MRSA infections at Bustamante Hospital. Affecting some babies with cancer, HIV & those on intravenous fluids for extended periods" - source
— Abka Fitz-Henley (@AbkaFitzHenley) October 19, 2015
Whatever the outcome, nothing short of the sacking of the
Minister of Health Dr. Fenton Ferguson will placate Jamaicans as guaranteed,
this will definitely result in them losing the upcoming General Elections, no
matter what date it is called.
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