Public Health personnel, accompanied by Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) members, direct him to one of the tents set up by the Ministry in this sector of the Dominican capital, on the banks of the Isabela River, where the majority of the country’s ten cases of the disease have been confirmed.

Romer Castro expends his last energy to reach the provisional care center, where they begin the standard protocol for a patient with the symptoms: diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, and dehydration picture. He has taken too long to arrive for treatment, according to the health personnel of the mobile hospital, who are used to foreign patients who are afraid to go to the doctor, especially if they have irregular immigration status.

After giving him first aid, they transport him to the Moscoso Puello Hospital, accompanied by a relative and one of the doctors in charge of the case, so that the necessary tests can be performed to confirm if it is cholera, as there are other conditions, such as parasitism, that present with similar symptoms.

Santo Domingo, DR
The residents of the La Zurza sector, a locality of the National District where four new cases of cholera were confirmed almost a week ago, have had to modify their habits and take extreme hygiene measures to avoid contracting the disease.

Housewives, the elderly, and young people said they only use water from the water tanks recently installed by the Santo Domingo Aqueduct and Sewerage Corporation (CAASD) for cooking and doing their chores.

“At every certain point, there are four large water tanks that are filled twice a day and with that water we do everything, because we cannot use water from the well or from the river, due to the weeds,” said Mariela Veras, referring to the degree of contamination of the La Isabela River.

Although the Dominicans said they were aware of the threat posed by cholera, the Haitians residing in the area continue to bathe and even wash their clothes in the pool, which shows how unhealthy it is.

Given this situation and the number of Haitians residing in the area, the health authorities have prepared awareness material in Creole and Spanish so that foreigners can receive in their own language the necessary preventive information to avoid the spread of the dangerous disease.

“We have been educating them house by house, we are taking them educational material in Spanish and Creole because there are some foreign citizens here, but the Dominicans have mostly heeded the call for prevention, which is what we are looking for,” said the director of Area IV of Public Health, Jesús Surdí.

On the other hand, during a tour made by journalists of this newspaper, a brigade of workers of the Mayor’s Office of the National District was observed in the area, which has been cleaning all the places that could be a focus of bacteria since yesterday morning.

Mobile hospital

By order of the Minister of Public Health, Daniel Rivera, a mobile hospital was installed last Monday in La Zurza. A team of doctors assists all citizens who present any symptomatology related to cholera.

Fewer patients

Dr. Máximo Canela, in charge of the unit, explained to journalists of Listín Diario that, although the number of patients has gradually decreased, each patient is evaluated, submitted to treatment, or referred to a hospital center, depending on the case.

He added that they are also doing “an educational work by handing out flyers containing essential information on cholera.”

A week ago, the Ministry of Public Health confirmed four new cases of cholera, for a total of six in the country. All correspond to Dominican citizens residing in the La Zurza sector of the National District.

The health authorities urged the population not to be alarmed, to remain alert to reports, and to follow prevention measures such as frequent hand washing, washing food properly, eating well-cooked food, and drinking only potable water.

They also recommend going to the nearest health center for investigation and timely treatment if you have any diarrheal events.

The Ozama cordon

On Thursday, the proposal of the Listin Diario newspaper in its Wednesday editorial to cordon off and prohibit the access of bathers to the Isabela and Ozama rivers due to their high levels of contamination and the recent incidence of cholera bacteria was positively accepted by the Ministry of Health.

According to Dr. Daniel Rivera, Minister of Health, the analyses to understand whether or not it is necessary to limit the passage to both river sources are already underway.

Rivera added that, as Public Health, they are going to wait until they see the cultural studies in the waters of the two rivers to proceed to accompany the acting institutions as much as they have done in the intervention process developed by the Ministry in the capital sector of La Zurza, where the first cases of cholera have appeared in the country.

KEYS

Cases and tests

The Ministry of Public Health reported that eight cases had been confirmed in the Dominican Republic, and six others are awaiting results. It explains that since the cholera cases appeared in Haiti, more than 3,000 tests have been carried out in the country to detect the disease.

Prevention

To combat the disease, the authorities continue to intensify preventive measures through water chlorination, monitoring in schools where toilets and pipes are being repaired, installing new water tanks, creating wells for drinking water supply, and cleaning rivers.

According to Rivera, due to the high levels of contamination in its waters, which are possibly sponsors of the country’s current cases of cholera, located in the La Zurza sector that maintains a spring that flows into the Isabela River, studies are already being conducted pertinent to determine fence their surroundings and definitively evade the insistent bathers.

Similarly, the doctor stated that, while the interpretations agreed with the Ministry of the Environment and the Santo Domingo Aqueduct and Sewerage Corporation (CAASD), Public Health would benefit from greater control over the bacteria’s prevalence. “Other State entities are already required to use this strategy, which will benefit Public Health by controlling the emergence of new cases in the area,” he assured.

This proposal to surround and prohibit access to both river sources stems from an editorial published today in the newspaper Listin Diario, which identifies this and other measures as possible channels of cholera retention.

According to the same Global Health report, 58% of the global population says they think “often” about their mental well-being.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 15% of adults of working age have a mental disorder, resulting in global economic losses of more than $1 trillion. As a result, this issue is presented as a priority for the international community’s socioeconomic mobility. With these statistics, it is clear that mental health is a topic that is extremely important today and will become even more so in the future. As a result, in a society where consumers expect brands to be agents of change and contribute to people’s well-being, communication strategies that focus on their attention have begun to gain prominence, and many brands have made it their purpose.

The global Communication, Public Affairs, and Marketing consultancy, LLYC, presents the Report “Mental health as a brand purpose” to provide communication strategies that allow brands to relate to their communities of interest. Considering the context in which the definition of a brand’s purpose is critical, mental health presents a great opportunity for companies to play an active, legitimate role in raising awareness and having a positive impact on people.

To prevent the spread of the disease, the vehicles will be used for field operations such as cleaning, disinfection, and surveillance. The charge d’affaires of the US embassy, Robert Thomas, emphasized his government’s extensive cooperation since the discovery of ASF last year.

The diplomat assured that “the United States wants to see the Dominican Republic prosper and succeed and that means working hand in hand with the Dominican authorities to eradicate African swine fever to guarantee the continued success and prosperity of the hog production sector.” He added that “today’s donation is just another example of our sustained and ongoing support to the Dominican Republic in the management and mitigation of African swine fever.” The Minister of Agriculture pointed out that “since the activation of the ASF Incidence Command System, we have kept this dangerous disease under control to protect the Dominican swine population and with the firm decision of President Abinader each producer affected by slaughtering their pigs we compensate at a fair price so that you can recover and maintain your economy”.

He indicated that it is a joint work in addition to international organizations, the Ministry of Agriculture, the General Directorate of Livestock, Digega el Bagrícola and pig producers. This delivery, valued at US$380,000, is part of the more than US$17 million that the US government has contributed to the country since July 2021 in vehicles, equipment, and technical assistance to eradicate this disease and protect the Dominican people from its impact on the national economy and food security. The total figure also includes US$5.2 million to compensate producers who lost their pigs due to the epidemic.

The health center, when applying for the National Quality Award, organized by the Ministry of Public Administration, obtained a silver medal in 2015, a gold medal in 2016, and the Grand National Quality Award in 2017, as well as Gold in its first application for the Ibero-American Quality Award in its 2019 version and was received in Madrid in February 2020.

In July of this year, the HPHM led in the No.1 position in the ranking of the best hospitals nationwide according to the Public Administration Monitoring System (SISMAP) for the health sector. On that occasion, it was also recognized by the National Health Service (SNS), for achieving the best hospital performance in the country. When offering the information, Dr. Dhamelisse Then, Director of the Hugo Mendoza Pediatric Hospital, highlighted the full support of the National Health Service, for what was a country application and revealed the passion, dedication, and great sense of humanization of the medical and administrative staff that make this health center a national and Ibero-American reference model.

The Ibero-American Quality Award is organized by the Ibero-American Quality Foundation (FUNDIBEQ) and the Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB), an organization attached to the Ibero-American Summit of Heads of State and Government.

Santo Domingo, DR
The predominant symptoms of the omicron subvariant of Covid 19 circulating in the country in recent weeks are characterized by a clinical presentation very similar to that of a flu-like process, but in some cases, can end up causing pneumonia.

The sensation of coughing, sore throat, general malaise, nasal congestion, tearing, and the feeling of congestion of facial bones can often be accompanied by gastrointestinal manifestations, ranging from nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, among the main characteristics of the symptoms presented by patients.

This is explained by the pulmonologist Evangelina Soler, former president of the Dominican Society of Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery, who points out the importance of the patient going to the doctor to make an accurate and differential diagnosis since it can be confused with other circulating viruses such as influenza, syncytial, adenovirus and dengue.

Lumbar pain

He said that other symptoms that Covid-19 currently presents are that the patient may have a fever or fever that occurs on one or two occasions, chills, and may have pain in the lumbar region.

The specialist explained that these characteristic symptoms occur in three to four days. After the cytokine storm, which appears on the seventh or eighth day after the onset of the symptoms, the patient may develop pneumonia, with cough and sensation of respiratory difficulty. However, she clarified that this is in the minority of cases.

Santo Domingo, DR
Brigades from the Mayor’s Office of the National District (ADN), in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health and other institutions, carried out a cleaning operation yesterday in which solid waste was fumigated and collected in the La Zurza sector of the capital, where two cases of cholera were recently detected.

“Today we are here with the city council cleaning the entire riverbank, giving attention to the families, bringing them supplies such as masks, gel, so that they can sanitize the whole area since we had two positive cases of cholera, which are already stable,” said Damian Almonte, coordinator of the Program for the Reduction of Traffic Accidents (Premat).

He assured me that the patients affected by cholera had already been treated and discharged. “We are finishing the sanitation of all the parts so that we can have a clear idea of where the cholera cases came from or if they were imported or if they were referrals from this same episode,” added Almonte.

Regarding the drinking water, he assured that it has already been treated by the Santo Domingo Aqueduct and Sewage Corporation (CAASD), and they are waiting for the results to be able to notice any abnormality in the liquid.

She also affirmed that there is no landfill in the community; instead, there is a “transfer” for solid waste, where the neighbors deposit the debris and collect it three times a week. Furthermore, the Vice Minister of Social Assistance, Raiza Bello Arias, declared that support and follow-up had been given to the community since the rains of last November 4, which caused havoc in Greater Santo Domingo, leaving irreparable human and material losses.

He expressed that “when these landslides occur, one is ready for epidemics to come, diseases such as dengue fever, in view of this we have followed up.”

The mother of Edwin Alexander Cedano, a 25-year-old young man who was crushed to death by a wall in this sector on the day of the torrential rains, considers that this action by the authorities is something beneficial for the whole community and explained that after the fateful day of her son’s accident, the authorities have been keeping an eye on the area.

Santo Domingo
Of the 475,000 doses of influenza vaccine acquired by the State to be given free of charge to high-risk groups, 194,568 people have been vaccinated to date, revealed the director of Immunopreventable by Vaccines, Dr. Lucia Vargas.

Dr. Lucia Vargas said that this vaccine is available in 428 authorized posts. They can also receive the vaccine against Covid-19 to complete their schedules and better protect them against the new circulating subvariants.

She explained that up to mid-week, 16,132,440 COVID-19 vaccines have been applied in the population, corresponding to the first dose, 7,295,993; to the second 6,065,999; to the third, 2 499,887 and with the fourth dose 270, 561 doses.

The director of Immunoprevenibles said that 901,255 people only received the first dose and did not receive the second dose, and that of those who received the double dose, 2,861,622 have not yet received the third dose, for which she urged to complete the scheme.

He urged the population to continue with the vaccination process to be immunized and reduce the effects that may be caused by the different variants that are circulating, which arise due to the non-immunization of the population.

He reminded that the program has 428 vaccinations against Covid and that the country has the Pfizer vaccine for children from 12 to 17 years old and the Sinovac vaccine for children from 5 to 11 years old.

Vargas reminded that the country has availability of the yellow fever vaccine, which is a requirement requested by countries where the disease is endemic, and that 10 thousand new doses are expected to be distributed in the different posts and centers established and to increase the capacity.

In turn, the Vice-Minister of Collective Health, Dr. Eladio Pérez, informed that, during the National Vaccination Day against Rabies, directed by the Center for Prevention and Control of Diseases Transmissible by Vectors and Zoonosis, a total of 162,315 animals were immunized, of which 126,353 were dogs, and 35,962 were cats, to establish an epidemiological blockade to reduce the risks of spreading the virus that causes this disease.

The day will be extended for a few more weeks, so they called on the population to bring their pets to be vaccinated to the provincial health directorates.

Testing posts

The deputy minister of Collective Health of the Ministry of Public Health said that the demand for laboratory tests to diagnose Covid-19 has increased in public and private centers and that the country has sufficient supplies.

Santo Domingo
Of the 475,000 doses of influenza vaccine acquired by the State to be given free of charge to high-risk groups, 194,568 people have been vaccinated to date, revealed the director of Immunopreventable by Vaccines, Dr. Lucia Vargas.

Dr. Lucia Vargas said that this vaccine is available in 428 authorized posts. They can also receive the vaccine against Covid-19 to complete their schedules and better protect them against the new circulating subvariants.

She explained that up to mid-week, 16,132,440 COVID-19 vaccines had been applied in the population, corresponding to the first dose, 7,295,993; to the second, 6,065,999; to the third 2, 499,887 and the fourth dose 270, 561 doses.

The director of Immunoprevenibles said that 901,255 people only received the first dose and did not receive the second dose, and that of those who received the double dose, 2,861,622 have not yet received the third dose, for which she urged to complete the scheme.

He urged the population to continue with the vaccination process to be immunized and reduce the effects that may be caused by the different variants that are circulating, which arise due to the non-immunization of the population.

He reminded that the program has 428 vaccinations against Covid and that the country has the Pfizer vaccine for children from 12 to 17 years old and the Sinovac vaccine for children from 5 to 11 years old.

Vargas reminded that the country has availability of the yellow fever vaccine, which is a requirement requested by countries where the disease is endemic, and that 10 thousand new doses are expected to be distributed in the different posts and centers established and to increase the capacity.

In turn, the Vice-Minister of Collective Health, Dr. Eladio Pérez, informed that, during the National Vaccination Day against Rabies, directed by the Center for Prevention and Control of Diseases Transmissible by Vectors and Zoonosis, a total of 162,315 animals were immunized, of which 126,353 were dogs, and 35,962 were cats, to establish an epidemiological blockade to reduce the risks of spreading the virus that causes this disease.

The day will be extended for a few more weeks, so they called on the population to bring their pets to be vaccinated to the provincial health directorates.

Testing posts

The deputy minister of Collective Health of the Ministry of Public Health said that the demand for laboratory tests to diagnose Covid-19 has increased in public and private centers and that the country has sufficient supplies.