Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has admitted that the Ebola virus was the greatest threat facing the people of T&T. She said so during Thursday’s Divali dinner at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s.
The Prime Minister noted that while citizens have been distracted by the objections to major infrastructure projects, such as the Solomon Hochoy Highway extension to Point Fortin, which appeared to have mesmerised so many and attract premium media coverage, the greatest threat which faced the nation was the Ebola virus.
She told guests of decisions taken earlier by her Cabinet to deal with the Ebola virus, which included the banning with immediate effect of all visitors from Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. She said Vice-Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier Anthony Phillips-Spencer is to chair the Ebola Prevention and Response Team to be established to manage all aspects of the Ebola virus in the country.
It will also include representatives of the Maritime Services Division, Ministry of Transport, the Civil Aviation Authority, the Airports Authority, National Operations Centre, the Port Authority of T&T, Point Lisas Industrial Development Corporation, all established trade unions and the private sector. She said a Port Health Committee also would be formed.
Its objectives are:
• Sensitisation of front-line personnel at T&T’s major points of Ebola.
• Strengthening public health emergency preparedness at ports of entry.
• Creating standard operating procedures (SOP), testing via table top and drill exercises.
• Strengthening surveillance methods,
According to Persad-Bissessar all major hospitals, district health facilities and certain health centres have been identified as designated triage areas for suspected person with Ebola. She also said Cabinet had agreed to the allocation of a five-acre parcel of land within the acreage of the Sugar Heritage Village and Museum, to the National Ramleela Council of Trinidad and Tobago.
She said the land would be used to establish a Ramleela Heritage and Festival Village. Persad-Bissessar said the Ramleela Heritage and Festival Village arose out of a need for the preservation, propagation and development of the Ramleela Festival.