Sluggish delivery of COVID release letters causing deep frustration
Acting Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Ronald Georges has acknowledged facing challenges with the rate of distribution of COVID-19 isolation release letters to the public.
COVID-19 isolation release letters are required for persons to return to work who have either contracted the virus and have been required to quarantine for 14 days or for persons in isolation in their household who have come in close contact with infected persons.
During a virtual stakeholders forum held by the Health Ministry yesterday, the CMO attempted to allay concerns about the issue.
“Yes, there is an issue with the pace at which we are getting these letters out. There are some challenges [but] the staff is working very hard on getting that sorted out and while that is being done, we are also looking at some more innovative ways of automating that process,” Dr Georges said.
He also acknowledged that the issue remained a work in progress and noted that it was difficult for persons to make contact with the phone numbers listed for the unit at the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) to discuss their options.
During the forum, several participants continued to raise concerns about the slow pace of release letters and questioned what steps can be taken in the absence of those release letters to facilitate their return to work.
One person asked if the release letters can be discontinued altogether, but Dr Georges suggested that an alternative would have to be created if the letters method is discontinued.
He said while the system was cumbersome and efforts were being made to automate it, it was not designed to accommodate 1,200 persons but rather 40-50 persons at a time.
“Twelve hundred people break the system. So yes we are aware, and we are making efforts to get this resolved as quickly as possible,” Dr Georges said.
While no immediate solution was offered, Dr Georges said his team will continue to examine approaches at automation to bring a speedy resolution to the matter.
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There’s a great new computer system called Excel which is perfect for this work.
“A great new computer system”???? You mean software. Anyway, it has been around since dinosaurs had teeth.
It’s a joke, you too now
The amount a $ burn on hsa and hospital and can’t send one identical letter 1200 times?
@You are funny/ You must be the life of the party smh…
And even quicker if tou use the merge and print/email utility.
Hidden behind them wearing their masks like clowns. No access to HS telephone numbers, delays in release letters, no active vaccination campaign towards general public, health services staff not vaccinated. One big joke!
dude just call the people them, stop making everything more complicated than it needs to be
Contract tracing is a waste of time altogether for Omicron which is basically a cold. Stay home if you’re sick, the end.
This is just laughable. People are not getting sick like the last time. Stop the bulls**t and let’s get back to living life. Wear your mask, take precautions and LIVE! COVID isn’t the only danger out there health-wise or otherwise.
I don’t consider being ordered by the government to wear a mask and take precautions “living”. If someone chooses to do it, good for them. But leave the rest of us alone and free to make our own choices, and leave businesses free to require or not require masks as they see fit. We will never get back to normal unless we are free.
Go buy an island and live by yourself. You are one of them that have so much rights and freedom that you no longer care for yourself or your fellow human being. Freedom comes with rights and responsibilities. Walking around without a mask and spreading covid is no different from walking down the street and attacking any one you meet.
Maybe you’re the one who should buy an island if you’re so terrified of getting the sniffles that you’re offended at the sight of peoples faces when they’re not covered by pieces of filthy cloth, and you think it’s the governments job to mandate masks even though they do nothing and you can’t spread a virus that you don’t have.
It’s so sad that they try to make this into a health issue when in fact it’s really a power trip and control issue! If there was a real push for better health in the BVI, the supermarkets and some of these roadside food places would be shutdown! The fact that we can import any and everything without limitation or even proper checks says it all. We can buy all the cigarettes, rum, sugary, processed foods, processed juices etc. that has everyone overweight and many on dialysis but have to stay home for 10 days if you have a runny nose and a test says you are positive for COVID. Globally it is being revealed more and more that the vast majority of persons that died with or from COVID had multiple comorbidities meaning they were suffering from other issues and would have died if they were to get for eg, a bad bout of dengue or regular flu. It’s funny how we act like the regular flu didn’t kill people before COVID came along.
The persons there must be very frustrated. i dont know what their working conditions are like but they are making hundreds of errors. Work diligently and make sure the letters are accurate one time before they are sent out. so you wont have to lie and tell people you going to change it and send it right now and they never see it. People need their letters. 90 percent won’t be paid by their employers and need the letters for social security 9as i understand you can claim).
I thing getting release letters are the most effective and efficient Paro of the System…I got my release letter 12 hrs before I got my negative test. It seems to me as the negative test was sent to health they jump on it one time. Excellent..Ur Issue Mr. Georges is lateness, especially at the testing site…Another issue is the lock of credibility the test and Lab has do some public education on those..