Gobierno de Reconciliación y Unidad Nacional
Unida Nicaragua Triunfa
INTERVENTION AT THE PERMANENT COUNCIL OF THE OAS,
FROM AMBASSADOR LUIS ALVARADO ON THE ACTIONS CARRIED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF NICARAGUA
AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
JANUARY 27, 2021
Thank you very much Madam President.
The delegation of Nicaragua is pleased to see you presiding over the work of the Permanent Council, we wish you success in the performance of your functions.
We acknowledge the presentation made by Doctor Jarbas Barbosa da Silva Jr., and we take due note of his presentation. We also appreciate all collaboration received by our country from the Pan American Health Organization.
Since its inauguration in January 2007, the Government of Reconciliation and National Unity considers Health as a fundamental Human Right, with this purpose it has been promoting, with energy and dynamism, the Family and Community Healthcare Model, which prioritizes Health Promotion and disease prevention, without neglecting the curative aspects of diseases, strengthening the Hospital network, Healthcare Centers, Healthcare Posts and Maternity Homes, with new or rehabilitated infrastructures and modern equipment.
In the same way, these healthcare services are extended to Neighborhoods and Communities through Health Fairs, Mobile Clinics and My Hospital in My Community, counting on the valuable competition and protagonism of Families and Communities reflected in the Community Network that is integrated by Midwives, Brigades, Volunteers, Collaborators, Agents of Natural Medicine and other Community Leaders.
This Protagonism is also reflected in the Anti-epidemic Fight, Vaccination, Healthcare Services Quality Assessments, among others.
Within the framework of this Family and Community Healthcare Model, we have developed the following Actions to prevent and address Covid-19:
1. Under the guidance of Comrade President of the Republic, Comandante Daniel Ortega and Vice President, Comrade Rosario Murillo, since January 30th, 2020, the National Inter-Institutional Commission has been operating to strengthen surveillance at the entry points of the country, the same day the World Health Organization declared an International Alert for Public Health because of COVID-19.
2. We have protocols for preparedness and response, which we update periodically according to WHO recommendations and with updated guidelines for the medical care of patients according to their severity.
3. In 20 Hospitals nationwide, we have rooms equipped with ventilators, suction pumps, vital sign monitors, among others, and equipment for the protection of Workers that attend the people affected, according to their severity.
4. Our Healthcare Centers and Posts are organized for early detection and mechanisms for transferring patients to designated Hospitals.
5. We have the capacity to diagnose COVID-19 through real time PCR tests at the National Reference Laboratory, recognized by PAHO/WHO.
6. Travelers who enter the country through any of Nicaragua’s entry points, have their temperature taken and are diagnosed for respiratory symptoms, giving follow-up for 14 to 21 days, to date, to 70,518 travelers.
7. Faced with any positive case, we carry out a search for their contacts, the identification of possible symptoms and provide the medications that they require, and we visit house-to-house, searching for people with fever or respiratory symptoms.
8. We have medicines, medical supplies, means of protection, ventilators and other equipment to attention for the affected people. We also have arranged purchases to increase availability.
9. At the national level and with the participation of the community network, an intensive awareness campaign is being carried out in Universities, Schools, CDI’s, Work Centers, Religious Activities, Markets and Bus Stations and through house-to-house visits, in order to promote prevention measures and early detection of COVID-19. Also, workers of the Public and Private Healthcare Units have been trained on prevention measures, identification of suspicious cases, protection measures for workers, medical care and patient transfer.
10. We trained 250,000 Members of the Community Network, Community and Religious Leaders, Public Servants, Municipalities, among others, on Preventive Measures, early capture and referral of cases to Healthcare Units.
11. We continuously exchange experiences with Specialists from China, Taiwan, Korea, India, and other countries, as well as with International Experts from PAHO and the Cuban Medical Brigade, Henry Reeve, on the prevention and management of COVID-19.
12. We hold Meetings with the Diplomatic Corps and Cooperation Agencies to inform them about the Measures that the Country has adopted in the preparation and response against COVID-19.
13. We are part of the Regional Contingency Plan with the Countries of Central America and the Dominican Republic, for the joint response against COVID-19.
14. The behavior of the disease is made known to the population through the Citizen’s Power Media, once a week at the National Level.
15. We have strengthened the Model of Citizen’s Responsibility and Authority of the State and Government, in terms of Public Health and Healthcare of Families and Communities, working from all Spaces of Commerce, Public Transport, Study, Social Exchanges.
16. We have managed, Thanks to God, with the Solidarity and Complementary Protagonism of the State, Institutions, Government, Mayor's Offices, Families, and the population in general, to keep the Country open, to protect the Material and Social Life of Families, Jobs, Education, Schools, Universities, Technical Centers and all forms of Gathering and Labor that are part of what we call the Model of Life and Citizen Protagonism, Solidarity and Complementary.
17. We will continue to protect the right to health of all Nicaraguans and to strengthen the Family Healthcare Model and the leadership of the Community Network.
18. We advocate for an increased cooperation towards countries that with fewer resources have suffered the consequences of climate change, and we join international efforts to jointly tackle the scourge of COVID-19.
Thank you very much Madam President.