'Panic & anxiety'

Of the 23 confirmed COVID-19 related deaths in the territory, one person died at home while the others passed away while patients at Dr D. Orlando Smith Hospital.

This fact has caused some persons in the community to speculate that being admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 is like a death sentence.

“There is a lot of panic and anxiety; persons are WhatsApping me, concerned. They feel that if you go into the hospital with COVID-19, you are not coming back out alive,” Premier Fahie said on the Tuesday, July 20, 2021 edition of VIP Let’s Talk show on ZBVI 780 AM.

“Is that a true statistic, is that correct? Because as far as I know there are a lot of persons that go in and were treated and were able to come back out, but that statistic is not yet out there,” he inquired from the Health Minister.

Premier Fahie said it was also not fair to the hardworking staff at Dr D. Orlando Smith Hospital, “but it is being said very heavy, and we should not play around with these things and hide behind a banana tree. Can you clarify that for us?”

Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Andrew A. Fahie , left, and Minister for Health and Social Development Hon Carvin Malone (AL), right, have dismissed claims that COVID-19 infected patients receiving care at Dr D. Orlando Smith Hospital are all dying.

'Number of discharges made'- Hon Malone

Minister for Health and Social Development Honourable Carvin Malone (AL) replied that the statements in the public domain are untrue.

“We had a number of discharges that were made. It is important that we only take the officials' words. There are recoveries,” he said but noted that the official statistics would be revealed at another time.

Persons falsely declaring deaths

He said what was also troubling is that persons who falsely declaring patients death. This, he explained, has caused families unnecessary heartache.

“I am not sure why people are so wicked, doing these things,” he said.