P.U.P.’s Plan to Tackle COVID-19

Daisy Garcia

While the P.U.P.’s health plan is broad, covering ten primary areas; how would it tackle COVID-19?  The party plans on investing in technology and human capital by building epidemiological and laboratory capacities and improving the supply chain management to respond to the country’s needs during health security threats.   Public Health Specialist, Doctor Daisy Garcia says that there is need for an effective health system that focuses on key pillars—information, surveillance and research.

Dr. Daisy Garcia, Public Health Specialist

“Where there was once the boast of readiness and preparedness, today we hear cries of persons with the anxiety of knowing if they will be tested and knowing their results. Today, we are faced with a health system that is unable to cope, a health system that is overburdened. This party, the People’s United Party, does not envision that kind of health system because we deserve better, Belizeans deserve better. The strengthening of this pillar will steer the health sector from a command and control model to engaging interaction and collaboration between the health sector and other sectors in society.  The P.U.P. recognises that health information is key for the analysis, dissemination and use of reliable and timely health information. This is to make the proper decisions for the people of this country on a daily basis and in emergencies. To achieve this, the P.U.P. will have a skilled team with the capacity to detect, investigate, communicate and contain events that threaten the public health security, making emphasis always on public health surveillance. The capacity to provide epidemiologic laboratory support so as to facilitate accurate, analytic results in a timely manner. Promote the use of telemedicine and tele-health in the country, taking into account the recommendations of the Belize Medical and Dental Association for the timely application of policy. The importance of data cannot be stressed enough.  COVID-19 has proven that public health surveillance comprises a wide range of efforts, not only from the public sector, but other health partners and the community as a whole so as to effectively trace and respond to the disease trends and threats.”