Minister Faure shows support to staff of Epidemiology Unit |24 June 2016

As part of activities to mark Public Service Day, Vice-President Danny Faure yesterday afternoon chose to visit the Epidemiology Unit, or what is known as the Disease Surveillance and Response Unit (DSRU) of the Seychelles Hospital.

Mr Faure explained that he had chosen to visit the unit to show support for its staff in view of the dengue fever epidemic which is currently hitting the country.  In the presence of Health Minister Mitcy Larue, principal secretary Bernard Valentin and other top health officials, he was briefed on the work being done by Dr Jastin Bibi, the senior medical officer responsible for the unit. The latter informed the vice-president that the service has recently been reorganised for it to function as a prevention, detection and treatment centre.

“It is necessary to give support to workers,” Vice-President Faure commented as he reminded that “it is important to realise that the country today has an entity which is responsible to monitor illnesses”.

Noting that the Ministry of Health is currently facing illnesses which did not exist ten years ago and that this puts pressure on available resources, he however reminded that for the service to be efficient, it is important that other clinics report to the centre. As most private clinics are currently not communicating their health statistics, he has announced that government will shortly introduce regulations permitting them to provide information to the Ministry of Health, in order to protect the people’s health.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health is once again calling on the public to take precautions to control dengue fever which it has reminded can be mortal. The best precaution is simply to eliminate containers which can keep water and serve as breeding space for mosquitoes