In her statement at the ALBA-TCP Health Social Council’s Special Meeting, themed “United against COVID-19, the Health Minister of the Republic of Nicaragua Martha Reyes highlighted that her country has strengthened its free, family, community health care model to fight COVID-19 more effectively.
Reyes informed that, under the instruction of President Daniel Ortega, the National Interinstitutional Commission has been operating to strengthen surveillance at Nicaragua’s crossing points since the WHO declared a world sanitary emergency.
“Our health care centers and posts are organized for early detection and moving patients to hospitals. We have the capacity to diagnose COVID-19 through real-time PCR tests at laboratories recognized by the WHO/PAHO,” said the Nicaraguan health minister.
Reyes explained they launched a massive COVID-19 awareness, prevention campaign that includes biosecurity measures.
“We are conducting campaigns in universities, schools, local markets, mayors’ offices, among others, and we have trained 250,000 members of the community networks on preventive measures.”
Minister Reyes also stressed the exchange of knowledge with specialists from China, Taiwan, Cuba and India, and WHO/PAHO experts on COVID-19.
The Republic of Nicaragua is part of the COVID-19 Regional Contingency Plan, along with other Central American countries and the Dominican Republic.