Health Ministry denies claim of sickened Campbellville Health Centre nurses

Last Updated on Saturday, 20 April 2024, 17:57 by Writer

The syringe lodged in a water dispenser at the Campbellville Health Centre (Christopher Jones’ picture)

The Ministry of Health on Saturday denied an allegation by opposition APNU+AFC parliamentarian, Christopher Jones that several nurses of the Campbellville Health Centre fell ill.

“At the time of discovery, no staff reported any adverse health effects,” the Health Ministry said in response to Mr Jones’ claim on Facebook that ten nurses from the Campbellville Health Centre were on Friday rushed to medical institutions to seek medical attention after complaining of feeling unwell.

The Health Ministry, however, said traces of alcohol were found in a syringe that was lodged in a water dispenser in the lunch room of the health post located in that eastern residential area of Georgetown.

Also being debunked is Mr Jones’ allegation that the Health Centre’s administration refused to allow police to conduct an investigation. “We also wish to notify the public that the incident is currently under investigation by both the Guyana Police Force and the internal security team of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation,” the ministry said.

Following is the full text of the Health Ministry’s statement.

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) wishes to address a recent inaccurate post circulating on Facebook regarding one of our satellite health centers, the Campbellville Health Centre.

On Friday, April 19, 2024, at approximately 2:00 pm, a security personnel assigned to the Campbellville Health Centre made a concerning discovery of a syringe lodged into a water dispenser bottle in the staff lunchroom. Upon this discovery, the clinic administration promptly alerted both GPHC’s administration and the Chief Internal Security Officer.

In response, GPHC’s Chief Internal Security Officer promptly contacted the Guyana Police Force and accompanied police officers to the health centre. Contrary to the misinformation circulating on social media, at the time of discovery, no staff reported any adverse health effects. However, in adherence to established protocols, all staff members were immediately transported to the Accident & Emergency Department at GPHC for precautionary screening for any potential toxicological concerns. Following thorough assessments, all staff were discharged and remain in good health, under continued monitoring.

Samples from the syringe and water dispenser were swiftly sent to an external laboratory for testing. The results revealed traces of alcohol present in the samples.

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation wishes to unequivocally debunk the inaccurate post circulating on social media platforms. We urge individuals to exercise caution and verify all information before sharing potentially misleading content.

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation wishes to emphasize that the health and well-being of our staff and patients are of paramount importance and as such take this incident very seriously. We also wish to notify the public that the incident is currently under investigation by both the Guyana Police Force and the internal security team of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation.