The Health Minister of Guyana Dr ANthony Frank has said that local authorities are preparing themselves to handle any monkeypox case which may arise.
He also added that there is nothing to worry about since there are only 1900 reported cases globally, however, he doesn’t want to take any chance.
Physicians in Guyana have undergone training and now specialize in finding symptoms of Monkeypox and treating them effectively. Detection and early treatment are the main targets set by the Health Ministry.
All local medical staff and laboratory staff are trained by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
The Health Minister added that Monkeypox was not a new virus and that it had been around for quite some time. However, this was the first time these many cases were reported outside the endemic zone i.e outside Western and Central Africa. He also believes that the high surveillance rate introduced due to the onset of the pandemic has helped to detect the virus quickly.
He also listed the symptoms of monkeypox and the different modes of transmission, and people to get themselves tested if any symptoms were shown.