“We have to take the politics out of health” – Volda Lawrence as she addresses rising COVID-19 deaths

“We have to take the politics out of health,” Former Health Minister and PNC Chairman Volda Lawrence said on Friday when she was asked about Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony’s management of the pandemic.

“I have said that as a minister, that the politics must be left outside of the gate, because in the health sector it is about saving lives and I think that should be the Minister’s main focus in trying to ensure we reduce the infections across the board and to ensure we save as many lives as we possibly can,” Lawrence told the media.

Minister Anthony had criticised Lawrence’s management of the pandemic, describing it as a calamity. At the time, the new government was sworn in August 2020, there were 24 COVID-19 deaths, there are now more than 700 deaths.
The former Health Minister called for among other things, more monitoring of households.

“We have households where one person is infected, other family members cannot find other places to go and isolate, so you still have mingling with the infected persons,” Lawrence said as she pointed out that this can lead to spreading the virus.

The Former Health Minister also called for the provision of free PCR testing at more sites, “We are at that stage, where there are more persons where they will not take the vaccine for one reason or the other, where there is medical or their own view, their human right,” she said, “so when we promote and get over the hurdles with those persons, who would like to take the vaccines but they have questions, we have to ensure we provide mechanisms so that those persons who are against taking the vaccines, have access to PCR testing, I think that is going to help us a lot.”

The Opposition remains hopeful that it will be included on the National COVID-19 Task Force, to date, the government is yet to budge on that request.