MANDEVILLE, Manchester – Councillors attached to the Manchester Municipal Corporation have expressed concern about transportation protocol in dealing with people affected by COVID-19, after a woman in the parish who shared a flight with patient zero expressed worry about traveling to get medical attention.

 Speaking at the monthly meeting of the corporation this morning, People’s National Party councillor for the John’s Hall division Faith Sampson disclosed that the woman, who was on board the British Airways flight 2263 which landed in Jamaica on March 4, is worried about traveling to get medical attention.

“I would like to know what protocols are in place in terms of how patients or suspected cases [of COVID-19] are transported to the medical facilities and upon arrival at the facilities what is done in terms of how they are treated,” she said.

“I am referring to a case this morning [Thursday] where someone called me and they were panicking. Their close relative came in on the flight that patient zero was on. She was in the Mile Gully area before she moved up to Mandeville. She was coughing and panicking,” the councillor added.

Sampson said the individual is concerned about getting to the hospital as she relies on public transportation.

“After speaking with medical personnel I was told to inform the person to go to the hospital, but the person is concerned as she has no ride for herself and she is saying if she is infected she might infect the taxi driver and other persons so she wanted to know what is the transportation protocol as the number that was listed was not working,” said Sampson.

Councillors also raised concerns about how many ambulances will be assigned to transport suspected cases of the COVID-19, and if the Mandeville Regional Hospital will be used as the main facility to isolate patients from the two other parishes (Clarendon and St Elizabeth) which fall under the Southern Regional Health Authority.

In response, Acting Medical Officer of Health Shannette Blair-Walters disclosed that a meeting was scheduled for this afternoon at the Southern Regional Health Authority’s office in Mandeville to guide in the decision-making process.

She disclosed that the isolation unit at Mandeville Regional hospital has two beds.

“The isolation unit has a specific service size, so it can only hold two beds at this point in time. The plan is that, should we need more space for isolation, then we will convert a ward. So wards are being prepared now with that in mind. There will be dedicated wards at the Mandeville Regional and Percy Junior hospitals,” she said.

Kasey Williams