By Dionne Rose, Staff Reporter
Allen-Young
DR. DEANNA Ashley, director of health promotion and protection in the Ministry of Health, says there has been an increase in the number of cases of gastroenteritis since Hurricane Ivan, with more reported cases in the southern region of the island.
"There has been a slight increase, but primarily in the southern region. On the Monday and Tuesday after 'Ivan' there was a slight increase at the Bustamante Children's Hospital but that has not persisted," she said.
Dr. Ashley said that, so far, the virus has claimed two lives. "We actually had two children who died from the Rocky Point and Portland Cottage area," she told reporters on Thursday.
The health promotion director disclosed that the numbers were averaging at five to six per day in the southern area with seven cases so far at the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital. She said the Ministry was monitoring the situation.
BASIC HYGIENE PRACTICES
Stressing the importance of observing basic hygiene practices such as washing of hands and boiling of water for drinking, Grace Allen-Young, Permanent Sec-retary in the Health Ministry said, "There is the need to remind parents and caregivers of how to treat with water, the washing of hands after going to the bathroom and general hygiene, which will be exacerbated where you have problems with water supplies."
Meanwhile, Dr. Ashley reiterated that there were no reported cases of typhoid since 'Ivan' but noted that there were endemic areas that have typhoid. "We have these areas mapped, we track those particular areas all the time," she stressed.
To prevent gastroenteritis and typhoid, the Ministry is urging members of the public to wash hands before preparing or eating food, if taking care of a sick person, or a baby, before touching eyes and mouth. Also wash hands after using the toilet, handling raw meat, changing a diaper, handling garbage among other things.
Persons should only drink treated water by either boiling or using bleach. In terms of treatment with bleach; one litre (quart) to two drops of bleach, five litres to eight drops of bleach, 20 litres to half teaspoon of bleach ad 170 litres to 41/2 teaspoons of bleach.
