Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter

DALLEY

Swamped with hundreds of samples to be tested for malaria, the Ministry of Health is to turn to private laboratories to assist with testing, as the number of malaria cases climbs to 43, according to Health Minister Horace Dalley.

Speaking yesterday with The Gleaner/Power 106 News Centre, Mr. Dalley said public medical technologists have been working long hours to test all the samples collected in the Kingston 12, 13 and 14 areas.

Checks made by The Gleaner at one private laboratory have found that the test costs $900 and can take up to three days for the results to become available.

"We are under pressure, there is a lot of work to be done," Leeford Bennett, chief medical technologist at the Comprehensive Health Centre in Kingston, told The Gleaner yesterday.

"And based on the fact that we are understaffed, the health centres are affected," he added

Mr. Bennett explained that the laboratory staff have to be on the road taking samples and as a result, outreach activities and other clinics are affected.

The clinic, with a staff complement of eight technical assistants and two medical technologists, said an outreach HIV testing had to be cancelled yesterday because the staff were busy trying to collect samples to be tested for malaria.

Last Friday, the Ministry of Health reported that there were four cases of malaria. The number has since climbed to almost 50. Mr. Dalley said 19 of these cases have been treated successfully. The affected areas are Denham Town, Tivoli Gardens, Trench Town and Delacree Park, all in Kingston and Portmore; Sydenham Villas and Church Pen in St. Catherine.

Mr. Dalley said there was one unconfirmed case in Clarendon and his ministry was awaiting the results from the laboratories.

Extensive fogging

He noted that there has been extensive fogging in sections of Clarendon, as that parish is known for the breeding of the anopheles mosquito, which transmits malaria. Some of the areas were Portland Cottage, Salt River, Mitchell Town and Lionel Town.

The Health Minister also noted that the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) was preparing a ward to accommodate patients with malaria. According to him, this is being done in case the National Chest and Kingston Public hospitals cannot handle the large number of cases.

"If we need to send people in private hospitals to the wards that are not occupied, we will do that," said the Health Minister.

Mr. Dalley said his ministry has to date covered 85 per cent of spraying and vector control activities in the red zone.

In the meantime, the Ministry of Health has advised citizens that mass outdoor gatherings in the affected areas are banned until further notice.