88 F Clouds
Monday, Oct 14 2024, 10:16 AM
Close Ad
Back To Listing

Venezuela ill equipped for pandemic

International 18 Mar, 2020 Follow News

Venezuelans are most susceptible to the virus

There is no ideal time for a pandemic, but fewer countries are less equipped to deal with the Covid-19 outbreak than crisis-ridden Venezuela, warn doctors and public health experts.

Bed shortages, a lack of isolation areas and short supplies of soap are already a daily reality in most hospitals. Cases of Covid-19 reached 33 in Venezuela on Monday evening, following the first two confirmed cases three days earlier. The government responded with a quarantine in the capital, Caracas, and six other states, alongside travel bans. On Monday the regulation was extended to the whole country.

But the outbreak could hardly come at a worse time for Venezuela, which despite boasting the planet’s largest proven oil reserves remains mired in years-long economic and social turmoil. Hyperinflation is rampant – Venezuela’s central bank said inflation reached nearly 10,000 percent last year – while shortages in basic foodstuffs and medical supplies are routine.

Hospitals regularly face power outages, while basic supplies – from latex gloves to basic antibiotics – are often hard to come by. Four and a half million people have fled Venezuela, with healthcare workers and disease specialists among them. Treatable diseases such as diphtheria, measles and malaria continue to spread in fertile conditions.


Comments (0)

We appreciate your feedback. You can comment here with your pseudonym or real name. You can leave a comment with or without entering an email address. All comments will be reviewed before they are published.

* Denotes Required Inputs