Sports fishing club donates to La Digue hospital in case of epidemic |08 February 2013

A donation of towels, pillow-cases, bed sheets, bed covers and mosquito repellents worth R20,000 have been given to the Ministry of Health, intended for the Logan Hospital, which serves some 3000 plus residents there.

This is part of the preparations being made in case the authorities declare the outbreak of an epidemic, after heavy rains left stagnant pools of water in large parts of the island recently.

The donation comes from the Seychelles Sports Fishing Club, whose chairman Tarak Patel and other members handed over the equipment in a small ceremony held at the Red Roof building of the Seychelles Hospital earlier this week.

The principal secretary for health Veronique Laporte accepted the equipment on behalf of her ministry, and said her ministry is making all possible preparations and that the equipment will be most useful.

“With the recent report of a possible case of dengue fever, we are taking all precautions and making all possible preparations led by Dr Kenneth Henriette who is also standing by on La Digue,” she said.

“We have had reports that the island is still being affected by flooding with more rain falling over there and we are sending more of our people there to investigate the situation, go door to door to give advice, as well as standby at the hospital to provide information to the public.”
Mr Patel said they have bought the equipment from funds accumulated over the past three years.

“We host a big fishing competition on La Digue once a year, so the island is close to our hearts.

We have helped La Digue in other ways in the past, such as giving R50,000 to the school, and paying for a solar panel worth R30,000, and we are once again happy to be of help.”

PS Laporte said that a base has also been set up at the La Digue community centre that can also cater for around 20 patients in case of an outbreak, and for less serious cases, they will carry out home visits.

“Confirmation of even one case can lead to an epidemic for us, and so we have to get ready, and we are making sure that we have a stock of at least two months’ worth of medicine there,” she said.