This was announced to Diario Libre by Dr. Yocasta Lara, director of Hospitals of the National Health Service (SNS), after confirming that yesterday three other patients were discharged because they tested negative for the disease, of which 36 cases have been registered at the national level from October to date.

The doctor explained that they are awaiting the results of the tests performed on those hospitalized to confirm or rule out the disease and recalled that stool cultures take three days to conclude.

Of the seven patients, five are at the Dr. Felix Maria Goico Hospital in the National District, one at the Dr. Rodolfo De La Cruz Lora Hospital in Pedro Brand, and one at the Dr. Hugo Mendoza Pediatric Hospital in Santo Domingo East.

Yocasta Lara said that the balance of patients admitted for suspicion of the disease is done every day at 8:00 a.m., so she cannot say if more people have been revealed this Saturday.

Since October 2022, 8,700 cholera tests have been applied in the country. However, so far, the health authorities have not provided information on the post-mortem tests used on five residents of the Villa Liberation sector, Santo Domingo East, who, according to their relatives, died of symptoms associated with cholera.

It is recalled that the authorities began to apply the Euvichol-Plus cholera vaccine to people from one to 60 years of age, residents of vulnerable areas where cases have already been detected.

The immunologic is a liquid formula for oral application, single dose, and protects against serotypes 01 and 0139, with protection for three years. It is being applied in the Goico Hospital, the mobile hospitals of La Zurza and Villa Liberación, and the Moscoso Puello Hospital.

It will also be distributed in selected schools in these sectors, including Capotillo and Villas Agrícolas.

At the provincial level, it will be applied in Elías Piña, Dajabón, Independencia, and Pedernales, provinces bordering Haiti, where health authorities have reported 511 deaths from cholera in the last four months.

Santo Domingo DR
The environment in which many families in popular neighborhoods of Greater Santo Domingo live is clouded by the precarious hygienic conditions in which they develop their daily life.

Dirty and stagnant water in different sectors such as La Zurza, Villa Almirante, and Villas Agrícolas are some of the causes for which the bacterial disease of cholera has taken hold in these places.
According to some community members of La Zurza, the conditions in which they live do not allow them to live in an environment with optimal conditions to prevent viral diseases.

“One tries to be clean in one’s little house, but there are many people here who do not have water and have to go to do their things in the river and they bring the disease to one’s house,” said Monica Peralta, a community member of La Zurza, who was inoculated against cholera.

In the same sector, a journalist of Listín Diario approached a 32-year-old man walking towards one of the pools to wash, and when he answered why he was doing it, he limited himself to express that “it is better to bathe like that.”
“We are used to it, this cholera is not going to hit us because we are immune to it,” said the man.

In addition to the lack of safe drinking water, hand washing, and hygiene in the handling of food, the national territory is also plagued by a lack of education on the subject of neighborhood cleanliness, as commented by a psychologist who resides in the community of Villa Almirante. “Look what happens; many residents here (Villa Almirante) do not have enough hygienic education to be able to fight this type of disease, on the contrary, there are those who believe that living in a very poor way will create an immune system and nothing will ever happen to them,” said Leidy Bautista, a psychologist who attended to be inoculated in the Villa Almirante tent.

The Ministry of Public Health, aware of the seriousness of a probable cholera epidemic, began vaccinating the citizens. Although the number of inoculated people has been fruitful so far, some want to avoid going to the vaccination tents.
Such is the case of Manuel Domínguez, a resident of Villas Agrícolas, who told this newspaper that he does not trust the vaccine because it is oral. “If I have to take it, forget it, I’m not going to take the vaccine,” Dominguez said confidently.

Awareness campaign

Given the increase in cholera cases, the Public Health authorities initiated meetings with community members to discuss the different measures to avoid contracting the diarrheal disease, which is currently registering an outbreak in the sector of Villa Liberación in Santo Domingo East.

Since October, 36 cases of the disease have been confirmed, most of them in Greater Santo Domingo. Yesterday, the Ministry of Public Health teams continued the cholera vaccination campaign for people at higher risk, residents of vulnerable sectors, and provinces.

The Toribio Bencosme Provincial Hospital received an Echo Cardiograph for an investment of RD$3,557,615.18, while at the President Estrella Ureña Regional Hospital, an image digitizer or CR and five surgical lamps with rolling feet, valued at RD$2,933,920, were delivered.

Likewise, the Hospital Municipal Licey al Medio was given a table for primary operations for RD$668,197.80, while the Hospital Regional Infantil Doctor Arturo Grullón received four transport stretchers valued at RD$787,296.00.
At the meeting of health indicators, where the delivery of the equipment was announced, the director of the SNS, Dr. Mario Lama, said that the action is part of the commitment assumed by the institution to equip the country’s hospitals and reduce the gap in access to health services.

During the socialization with the hospital directors, which was attended by the director of the North Central SRS, Manuel Lora, and other SNS and regional authorities, Dr. Lama also informed that, as was done in the Metropolitan and Central Cibao health regions, in the North Central region there will also be an increase in the financial advance to the hospitals of eight million, four hundred thousand pesos.

The soaring cost of eggs may be inspiring some people to add a chicken coop or two to their backyard or property. 

The feathery pets, however, come with serious health risks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — so people should go into such an endeavor with eyes wide open.

"Raising any type of animal or bird is always potentially fraught with communicable disease transmission," Dr. Aaron Glatt, chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital on Long Island, New York, told Fox News Digital this week.

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"Proper attention has to be given toward maintaining the good health of these creatures, as well as preventing the spread of microbes they may harbor," added Glatt. He is also a spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. 

Last year, there were 1,230 illnesses, 225 hospitalizations and two deaths in 49 states and Puerto Rico as part of a CDC investigation into outbreaks linked to backyard poultry, according to its website.

"In 2022, CDC investigated 13 multi-state outbreaks of salmonella infections linked to backyard poultry," Dr. Kathy Benedict, a veterinarian epidemiologist with the CDC, told Fox News Digital. 

"Backyard poultry can be a reservoir for many diseases, which can spread diseases to poultry and/or humans," added Maurice Pitesky, a cooperative extension specialist with University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine in Davis, California.

"It is our responsibility to raise the birds in such a manner as to reduce the potential for disease transmission," he added.

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The CDC gives tips on how to stay safe from the harmful germs that chickens can spread.

"Chickens can carry germs like campylobacter, E. coli and salmonella," Benedict of the CDC told Fox News Digital.

These are all bacterial infections. 

Chickens don’t usually get sick from these germs, she said — so "they can look clean and healthy but still spread the germs to people."

People using a chicken coop can also get an infection known as histoplasmosis, said Benedict. 

It's caused by a fungus found in soil that's contaminated with bird poop. 

Experts emphasize the importance of knowing the health risks of one bacterial infection in particular — salmonella — associated with having a chicken coop.

"You can get sick from touching your backyard poultry or anything in their environment and then touching your mouth or food and swallowing salmonella germs," the CDC notes on its website.

Patients who are sick with salmonella often have a fever and diarrheal symptoms with stomach cramps, the CDC says.

The symptoms often begin as early as six hours up to six days after swallowing the bacteria, but most people get better on their own in one week.

Children younger than five, adults who are 65 and older, and people who are immunocompromised are more likely to be at risk for severe disease from salmonella and may require treatment, including hospitalization.

The agency emphasizes that people should always wash their hands with soap and water after the following: handling any chickens; touching their eggs; and touching anything where chickens live and roam. 

But hand sanitizer is a good second-line option if soap and water are not readily available.

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The agency suggests people have a ready supply of hand sanitizer near the chicken coop.

Kissing or snuggling chickens can spread germs to the mouth — which is why the CDC recommends against doing this.

Also, don't eat or drink when around chickens, the CDC says.

Keep chickens, their care supplies such as feed containers, and the specific shoes you wear to care for chickens outside the home. 

"You should also clean the supplies outside the house," the CDC adds on its website.

Kids should also be supervised any time they're around backyard poultry. 

Parents and caregivers should remind them to also wash their hands after handling chickens. 

Children under five years old should not touch chickens. That's because they're at higher risk of getting sick from germs like salmonella.

While "eggs are one of nature’s most nutritious and economical foods," the CDC points out, "eggs can make you sick if you do not handle and cook them properly."

Eggs that stay in the nest for a long time can break or become dirty — so collect eggs as often as you can.

‘SKY-HIGH’ EGG PRICES: HISTORICAL LOOK AT EGG COSTS SINCE 1980

Broken eggs allow germs to enter the egg more easily through the cracked shell. Any eggs with broken shells should be thrown away. 

For unbroken eggs, "rub off dirt on [these] eggs with fine sandpaper, a brush or a cloth," the CDC notes on its website.

For warm, fresh eggs, avoid washing them with water, "because colder water can pull germs into the egg."

Once you've cleaned the eggs, it's wisest to refrigerate them to keep them fresh and to slow bacterial growth. 

While some people believe that fresh, unwashed eggs can be stored safely at room temperature, refrigerating them will help them last longer. 

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The CDC adds, "Cook eggs until both the yolk and white are firm, and cook egg dishes to an internal temperature of 160°F to kill all germs."

Benedict told Fox News Digital, "CDC’s website has information about how to stay healthy around backyard chickens and how to keep your chickens healthy."

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She noted that the agency also includes FAQs and "a printable infographic for people who have chicken coops."

“I do not end my life as a coward, I do it because I need to feel the peace that I have not found in this world” were some of the words written by the young woman in a post that she titled “depression kills”. According to social media reports, her plans were thwarted by police officers, and she is now in custody.

Thousands of people commented on the young woman’s writing on social media. Hundreds of people echoed her words in an attempt to locate her and prevent her from taking her own life.

The message written by Cristy Mateo

I will be on my way out of this world when you read this. I am not leaving because I am a coward; I am leaving because I need to feel the peace that I have not found in this world. Depression has slowly taken over my life; I haven’t slept in weeks, cried every night, lost interest in things I enjoy, and my emotional state is a roller coaster.

I’ve asked for help on several occasions, but people dismiss depression as if it were a fad or an attempt to attract attention when for those of us who suffer from it, our lives pass us by while we are stuck in a rut, unable to do anything because our positive thinking is obstructed.

I thank those who were always nice to me and there for me, I thank the Lord who gave me a rose every time he saw me, my spirits rose to a thousand, and I thank the Lord for everything.

who was aware of my situation and was always attentive and encouraging when I needed it most. I don’t fit in here anymore.”

Clemente Terrero, the health center’s director, stated that as a result of the cholera outbreak that erupted in Haiti at the end of last year, the hospital “has handled several patients with cholera who have come from different parts of the country” and that they realized it was “prudent” to have an exclusive unit for the reception of symptomatic patients. “Our hospital has prepared to continue providing first-class care to children affected by illness, with the highest quality standards and humane treatment,” he said.

This health center received seven suspected cholera cases, four confirmed as positive and three negative. Five of these cases involved minors from La Zurza, San Carlos, and Ocoa. The patients were between one and four years old. Irma Coradin, the hospital’s in-charge of infectious diseases, explained that not all patients require intravenous hydration because some recover with oral hydration. “It is a disease that, if not treated promptly, ruins people’s lives due to the dehydration it causes,” she explained. Similarly, she stated that “no mortality has been recorded thus far, thank God.”

The hospital has not yet been added to the list of medical facilities where vulnerable patients can get the cholera vaccine. Cholera is a highly contagious bacterial disease that causes severe acute watery diarrhea. Symptoms can appear between 12 hours and 5 days after consuming contaminated food or water. Cholera affects both children and adults and, if left untreated, can be fatal in a matter of hours.

Two “white elephants” that cannot be used by a population of 7,000 families and have become a source of contamination for the residents of Villa Liberación, where a cholera outbreak has been declared and at least five people have died. Ruins of what was to be the plant to treat sanitary waste from part of the sector can be found in the Colina del Oriente II neighborhood. Old decanters, where liquids must have been stored, are now empty spaces where liana branches climb on all sides, transforming the space into a green leaf platform.

For years, the pipe that should have been discharged in the location was covered, and what was done was to channel pipes through the facilities, and fecal matter, urine, and other liquids were discharged directly into the Ozama River without any type of treatment. According to Leonardo López, president of the Colina Oriental Association of Neighborhood Councils, the plant began construction during the administration of former President Hipólito Mejia but was never completed. The plant only worked halfway for about three years, and since then, some engineers have received a while of quantifications to finish it. Still, the work did not progress until the project was abandoned entirely, he said, adding that even the soldiers who were in charge of the work were withdrawn.

Only the lagoon’s masonry works and the building where the caretakers lived remain. Doors, ironwork, furniture, grilles, and the entire waste treatment system that had been installed up until that point were all stolen. “The pipe is clogged every 20 meters, and cholera does not affect Villa Liberación, El Tamarindo, El Almirante, Sabana Pedida, Los Mina, or even the Caribbean Sea,” says the community leader.

The first meeting of the Alexandra School Alumni Association for the year will take the form of a discussion on healthy lifestyles and is open to the public.  

There will be a presenter from Dietitians of Barbados (DB), the first local professional organisation for registered dietitians and students in human nutrition and dietetics.

The discussion takes place on Saturday, January 28 at the school, Queen Street, St Peter at 4 p.m. and will touch on general health with a question-and-answer segment after the initial presentation by Meshell Carrington, vice-president of DB.  

A cookbook, Barbadian Gourmet, developed by dietitians at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital with emphasis on local food, will also be on sale and there will be sampling of wine and cheese. 

The dietitian organisation was launched last July 15, and it “seeks to serve the public by acting as [a] resource of technical expertise in nutrition, through promotion of nutritious food choices and through advocacy to improve the Barbadian food environment”. 

(PR)

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GPPA, GrenCHAP, and the Ministry of Health deliver comprehensive and integrated SRH, GBV and HIV services across 4 parishes

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The event was presided over by First Lady Raquel Arbaje, in her capacity as President of the Cabinet; Vice President Raquel Peña; the Ministers of Health, Dr. Daniel Rivera and Luis Miguel De Camps; the Director of the SNS, Dr. Mario Lama; and the Executive Director of Senasa, Dr. Santiago Hazim. The cochlear implant program for children with hearing impairments aims to reduce school dropout by facilitating language development at a young age. In its first stage, this project will respond to cases of hearing loss in boys and girls from low-income families that the first lady has received over the last two years, with the help of Senasa.

“From the moment I began to develop the idea, I found the support of many willing to join the cochlear implant program for the benefit, above all, of the boys and girls with the greatest social and economic disadvantages, who need us the most. That is why, with the help of many, they have a preferential place in all of our efforts to improve their quality of life,” Arbaje said. Meanwhile, the Vice President of the Republic, Raquel Peña, emphasized that the goal is for every kid born to have access to these services and care so that it never has to be because they meet an official who you will be attended to; that is the goal: to leave it institutionalized in the country.

Dr. Eddy Pérez-Then, the special adviser to Mispas, presented the initiative, explaining that the first two operations were performed in December on patients with profound severe hearing loss, whose experiences allow us to confirm that the program and its objectives are goals that are achievable, real, and have a significant impact in the Dominican health sector.