The Minister of Public Health, Daniel Rivera, led a discussion on Tuesday with representatives of the Dominican Medical Association (CMD), specialized medical societies, as well as directors of hospital centers, to consider the new official provisions regarding COVID-19 Went. After the decision of the end of the pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Maintaining incentives for vaccination, especially among children, and that it be part of the routine program for pregnant women; Voluntary use of masks in hospitals and public transport, as well as maintenance of medical licenses for seven days, were points on which attendees agreed.
The exchange of views began with how the coronavirus has evolved in the country, the measures and resolutions taken, to arrive at updated figures that showed low positivity and zero hospitalizations due to the disease.
«The World Health Organization has made it official the lifting of most measures, practically everything, but, you know, since February last year, the President also lifted many of these measures, some remain and Today we come to that, to see what details remain as we have to accept this new challenge,” Rivera declared.
“We will continue to be vigilant, we will continue to monitor, we will continue to do differential determinants. Very mild cases still do occur, but if something is active, we always have to be vigilant like with any disease. You need to continue vaccinating Have to keep,” said the officer.
Rivera clarified that no new vaccines have been procured and those in stock will continue to be used. When asked about the expiration date, the Chairman of the Health Cabinet guaranteed that they were still valid.
« That same business house extends your finish and has prolonged it so far. The day it happens (expiration) we will say it,” he declared.
In this sequence, he said that there are enough vaccines, even to donate, but no other country wants more vaccines.
“We’re going to put in what we have,” he said.
Challenges and Proposals
Jose Joaquín Puelo, director of the Luis Eduardo Aybar Health City, stressed that the current challenges that health officials will face are limited to long-term covid, or long-term covid, which is the most common disease among hospitalized patients. developed between 38 and 40%. As large populations of children remain unvaccinated.
Puelo highlighted that, although children infected with Covid did not have cerebrovascular accidents (ACV), myocarditis or kidney accidents, there was an increased incidence of epilepsy as well as the development of rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, vasculitis and diabetes Was.
A notable fact is that only 14.5% of children between the ages of 5 and 11 have received the first dose of anticovid vaccine and 7.8% have received two complete doses. Contrast this with the 12- to 17-year-old group, where 75.8% have one dose and 55% both.
Regarding the new diagnosis of diabetes after covid, Jose Brea, President of the Society of Vaccinology, assures that the cases have increased between 103 to 450%.
Demelis then, director of the Hugo Mendoza Pediatric Hospital, joined the discussion, describing as “alarming” the number of children coming to the pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) after the epidemic with ketoacidosis, who completely decompensated. Was.
And the president of the Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics, César López, urged that pregnant women be routinely vaccinated against Covid and influenza, like the DPT (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) vaccine.
Mario Lama, director of the National Health Service, asked that the voluntary use of masks in hospitals and public transport be no longer mandatory, but voluntary.
Together with the Superintendence of Health and Occupational Risks (Siceril) it will be determined whether the current seven days of medical leave due to COVID will be abolished and the individual will receive normal sickness allowance, as well as maintenance outside the coverage of PCR . The tests also determine whether they will be necessary before each surgical procedure.
“A symptomatic patient will always be tested,” said Minister Rivera.
When a final consensus is reached on all these points, the health ministry will issue a final resolution which will supersede the previous proposals.
