WHO donates infection prevention supplies and protection gears |01 September 2015

The Public Health Authority (PHA) has received personal protection gears and equipment for screening school children for hearing defects.

The equipment, worth approximately US $23,000, is a donation from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The WHO liaison officer Dr Cornelia Atsyor handed over the supplies and equipment to the deputy chief executive of the Health Care Agency (HCA) Dr Danny Louange and the acting public health commissioner Dr Meggy Louange after they had signed the transfer certificate during a ceremony held on Thursday morning.

Health Minister Mitcy Larue and other key health officials witnessed the handover which was held at the ministry’s head office at the Seychelles Hospital.

“This donation of equipments which is to protect the staff of the Ministry of Health against viral hemorrhagic diseases which are highly infectious – among them ebola and dengue, will help better prepare us in case of an outbreak in the country.  Seychelles has received supplies and equipment that can support the management of ten beds should the need arises,” Dr Atsyor said, adding that among the supplies are also special bags for keeping deceased patients.

In addition extra sets of these supplies has been put aside and will be released to the Ministry of Health to be used for demonstration and training of health staff for mastering infection control protocols and procedures.

“WHO is also donating to the school health programme equipment for screening school children for hearing defects. Hearing defects can be insidious and present learning difficulties so the earlier these defects are detected the better the outcome will be,” Dr Atsyor told everyone present.

Thanking the WHO, Dr Meggy Louange said the health ministry welcomes such generous contributions and is happy to see that the WHO is ready to provide support to help improve our health services.

“WHO has always been one of our close partners and today we are the proud recipients of such a donation. Ebola taught the world an important lesson, health workers in other countries have been affected by that highly infectious disease. And today with this donation, Seychelles is better prepared and well equipped to react to a possible outbreak,” Dr Louange said.

She also thanked the WHO for the donation to the school health programme to screen school children for hearing defects.