Health minister clarifies mounting public concerns over specialised treatment |07 July 2021

While it is true that specialised treatment services have been interrupted because of the Covid-19 situation for numerous reasons, this does not mean that patients in need of the services have been neglected.

This is because procedures in place allow for specialists to receive and analyse all patients’ referral from other doctors requesting new consultations for their patients.

Health Minister Peggy Vidot said this in the National Assembly yesterday while answering a Private Notice Question form the leader of the opposition, Sebastien Pillay, on the matter.

Minister Vidot explained that the Covid-19 situation has impacted heavily on the health services in general causing for human resource to be redeployed in other areas where care was more in need while caregivers, specialists, technicians and other staff had been affected and have had to go into isolation or quarantine.

But Minister Vidot stressed that procedures in place allow for specialists to continue providing the services to patients under established protocols. As such it is also their responsibility to review the files and follow up on all patients who were to see them and where necessary, they take the following necessary measures – they make new prescriptions, they request for new laboratory and diagnostic tests where necessary, they discuss treatment issues with the patients where required and where needed, they call in the patients for a physical examination.

Staff at the specialised clinics also get in touch with the patients to inform them when they need to collect their medication, when they need to do blood or other tests. Where a patient needs a physical examination, this is also organised by the staff at the SOPD.

“But all this said, there are certain specialist clinics which are still in full operation and these are oncology, orthopedic, trauma and accidents, urology, colposcopy and pediatric,” Minister Vidot explained.

Additionally she pointed out that follow up and treatment of patients in regional health centres are still being carried out as per established procedures while emergency services in all regional health centres also remain operational round the clock seven days a week.

With regard to follow up and treatment overseas, Minister Vidot said the procedures remain unchanged in line with the regulations that the National Assembly approved in 2018.

But Minister Vidot has clarified that the difficulties being encountered at present is that countries where the ministry sends patients for treatment are not in a hurry to take them because of the Covid-19 pandemic and difficulties to get connecting flights to travel abroad for the same reason.

She said the health ministry is working more closely with friendly countries and Seychelles’ missions overseas to continuously seek alternatives without compromising the health of our patients and at the same time ensuring a safe corridor for their travel because of the pandemic.

Minister Vidot further stressed that it remains the policy of the Health Care Agency to ensure health care remains as accessible as possible to all and it has never been the intention of the agency and the health ministry to deny our citizens that.

She went on to note that where it is possible and practicable, health issues of all patients should be addressed within the shortest possible delay Covid-19 or not. But Minister Vidot also pointed out that unavoidably, health services including specialised services could be affected as the pandemic impacts on its already limited human resource in all areas and it is for this reason that she is calling on the understanding and cooperation of each and every one of us.

“We are in a difficult situation and the world is in a difficult situation and it is only with the understanding, collaboration and cooperation of everyone that our health system can overcome all the challenges it is facing,” Minister Vidot affirmed.

Meanwhile as more emphasis is being placed on mitigating and controlling the risks of Covid-19, Hon. Pillay wanted to know if there has been any increase in other serious illnesses and health conditions.

Minister Vidot affirmed that so far the health ministry has not registered any increase in such cases. She noted that the numbers have varied from year to year but so far there have not been any significant increase.

In a supplementary question Hon. Pillay noted that in spite of Minister Vidot’s detailed positive replies to his questions, the reality expressed and being faced by different patients tell another story. He recounted different ordeals some of these patients have been through to the Assembly questioning the health ministry’s ability to apply health protocols and what the ministry is planning to do to carry out proper follow up of all patients as is required.

On these issues Minister Vidot stated that she is not familiar with the cases and therefore cannot comment on them there and then.

Serious cases of acute limb ischemia not cellulitis

Meanwhile Hon. Pillay also asked Minister Vidot to clarify mounting public allegations that recently there has been a considerable increase in the number of amputations linked to cellulitis.

Clarifying the allegations, the chief executive of the Health Care Agency, Dr Danny Louange who was accompanying Minister Vidot in the Assembly, explained that the agency has been made aware of an increase in the number of patients seeking treatment for infections believed to be cellulitis.

“But on closer investigations and review of statistics collected, it turned out that there has been no increase in the above mentioned cases but instead there has been some cases of acute limb ischemia and recently there has been three serious such cases,” Dr Louange revealed.

Acute limb ischemia occurs when there is a sudden decrease in blood flow to the affected limb. It happens if part or piece of plaque or blood clot breaks free and suddenly blocks a blood vessel.

Dr Louange has confirmed that as per their investigations and observations these cases are not linked to the Covid-19 infection and the related vaccines.

“Sometimes these phenomena just happen and they are not associated with neither negligence nor with the fact that services are being directed more towards managing the Covid-19 crisis that the country is facing,” Dr Louange highlighted.

Minister Vidot further added that such cases are continuously being monitored and case reviews of patients are also carried out.    

Minister Vidot also answered numerous other questions related to other specialised treatment like for dental, eye care among others, the need for the health ministry to allow private clinics to carry out small surgeries. On the latter Minister Vidot said the ministry is encouraging private health practices to provide these services but on condition they ensure that all established health protocols are strictly adhered to.

Marie-Anne Lepathy