Senior Reporter
jensen.lavende@guardian.co.tt
There is a confirmed case of malaria at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. The patient, a woman who came from the African continent, is in the intensive care unit at the hospital.
North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) CEO Anthony Blake yesterday confirmed the report and said the protocol for treating such cases was in place.
T&T National Nurses Association president Idi Stuart said while he was not aware of the report, staff at the hospital are equipped to handle such cases.
Stuart said while the report of malaria is not alarming, the authorities must do what is necessary to keep the country safe. He added that there can be serious neurological concerns for a baby whose mother has malaria.
“It will really be a concern for the mother and the child, as opposed to persons who are patients on the ward. It is not an infectious disease that will spread from patient to patient. It will more be of an individual nature, and we have some excellent neonatal staff who will be able to care for the child appropriately,” he said.
Calls and messages to Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh for comment went unanswered yesterday.
According to the US National Library of Medicine, pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to malaria infections, which put their foetuses at risk. Malaria in pregnancy is associated with anaemia, stillbirth, low birth weight and maternal and foetal death.
Malaria, a disease spread by mosquitoes, has been mostly eradicated, with isolated incidents being reported. In 2019, Deyalsingh said malaria was a cause for concern after 17 confirmed cases were reported, with all but one being a foreign national.
The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) observed Caribbean Mosquito Awareness Week (CMAW) from May 13-17, with a focus on battling mosquito-borne diseases in the region and highlighting the challenges and solutions in controlling mosquito populations and preventing diseases such as dengue, Zika, chikungunya and malaria.
The malaria case comes at a time when the hospital is under scrutiny following the deaths of seven babies from a bacterial infection at the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
A full report on that incident, which Deyalsingh has promised to make public, is expected to be completed soon.