Former Executive Director of the Caribbean Center for Development and Administration (CARICAD), Jennifer Astaphan, has been appointed by the government to serve as National Coordinator of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Astaphan, who is a health professional and attorney, is also a former permanent secretary in Dominica’s Ministry of Health.
Her appointment was announced by Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit on Friday at a Consultation on the COVID-19 Virus.
“Today, Cabinet has decided to appoint an overall national coordinator of our country’s response and this person has graciously accepted to serve in that capacity and this is Mrs. Jennifer Astaphan,” Prime Minister Skerrit stated.
Skerrit said Dr. Collin McIntyre will also serve as the national coordinator of logistics to ensure that proper protocols are implemented in areas such as airports and isolation rooms.
The Prime Minister indicated that the government intends to expand the membership of the COVID-19 task force to include a number of stakeholders in communities in order to effectively combat the disease.
“The private sector, the unions, the parliament, the churches, so that we get live information from the task force and, armed with the live information, we are better able now to go into the communities among our constituencies,” he noted.
He said this information will be shared and used to educate the general public.
Skerrit also expressed his sincere and profound gratitude to the public servants who have been at the front line of preparations and showing signs of commitment and dedication to their duties and country.
“The many nurses who have come forward to say I want to volunteer…the customs officers, the port workers, the medical doctors, the environmental officers, ground handlers, the agents of ports and ferries, all of these stakeholders are critical to our national response,” he noted.
The prime minister said the nation will spare no efforts in seeking to prepare because “time is of the essence.”
Reminds me of when Ms Gloria Shillingford was given a job to manage and advise Skerrit on school dropouts. As we know, Ms. Shillingford was very competent as a former principal but we never heard from her and school dropouts continues to this day and maybe even worse now. Maybe it was Skerrit’s way for rewarding her for dropping out from the Wesley constituency. So Mrs. Astaphan is qualified but we have all seen that Skerrit movie before so we all know what to expect.
Stop playing party politics and appreciate what the PM is doing. Lennox will never be the PM of Dominica, nor will bogoroy Baptiste, bagalaga Spaggs, nor ………. Joshua Francis.
What kind of leadership is that, the people most vulnerable to this virus are the elderly and a leader appointed an elderly to head the mission. What DUMBO.
Are you guys really serious. DR.Mac it’s time you get out of the comic show, you know better
Did we not hear that the elderly are most vulnerable in this….she falls in that category.
We have a Ministry of Health, yet we STILL need to appoint someone from outside to be the national coordinator for Coronavirus pandemic. Why??? Don’t we have competent staff within the Ministry of Health?????
there was once a claim that we were the first Caribbean country to be able to test for Covid-19, yet after weeks screening has only recently started at ports of entry, people were only trained to test a week ago but most importantly, our health system is a total mess, there a numerous communities with no access to immediate healthcare services, due to the removal of health centers. Plus with the so called hospital which really is not a hospital since it lacks services which defines a general hospital such as dental, quarantine, laboratory, educational facilities and cafeteria, then there is the issue of nonfunctional departments such as the radiology, out of hours facility for GPs. those issues draws the question, what has this administration been doing for the past 20 years? that we do not have a real hospital in Dominica in the 21st Century. yet our people do not have an issue with Roosevelt Skerrit and labour party! lets not forget they are capable of flying out to real hospitals!
So do we honestly believe that we really don’t have any cases in Dominica?..
Like Dominica wrapped up in a bubble while all the other islands reporting cases?..
To believe that you have to be living in your own special bubble.. I doh think no Dominican really believing that.. especially when we were so happy to accept all those cruise ships that everybody else turned away.
And it have people that can afford to buy things and stock up all now so but it have plenty of us that cannot even afford to buy bread.. much less a roll of toilet paper.
But I think that all of us; Labour, Workers, Freedom,.. just there hoping that we can get tested if we there coughing and feeling sick so we don’t end up spreading de Corona and that dem man have serious plans in place if things really start to get out of control (God forbid).
Hoping that our new National Coordinator turns out to be our local version of Dr. Anthony Fauci and that absolutely no Dominican lives are lost because of this global…
It seems like you guys are disappointed and angry Dominica does NOT
have any cases of the virus, shame on you all.
I don’t trust Skerrit appointments.
She may have her skill in her profession but Skerrit is still calling de shots…..micromanaging over her head, de minister of health and de permanent secretary in health.
Dominican officials have de country in a false state of healthcare readiness.
Our main hospital is still at phase 1.
We sending people overseas to receive special medical care every week. I am interested in seeing the documentary evidence of ‘who’ was so lucky to be tested for covid-19 in Dominica….our minister of health said so.
De readers shouldn’t dig to deep to suspect who made the suggestion for this woman to spearhead that covid-19 issue.
We have local doctors who are highly appreciated outside of Dominica that Skerrit does not like
Yes I said it!
De director of de movie not to skilled….you can see right through his plot…. and dismantle de story altogether.
Why do we need a national coordinator at this stage, after all we were just told that Dominica hasn’t got any cases yet. Perhaps it is the truth that the country has some cases already but the government isn’t admitting it to avoid panic.
Eben way! How can u all be pleased? You all are negative, complaining, hoping that we have a case of corona and u so negative that you even think we do not need a Co-ordinater to concentrate on COVID? Well well what is wrong with you people? You do not want anything to be put in place? Yet you hoping something happen. What do you people really want? You need a dose of deliverance from blame game, ignorance, hatred. Get up and open your eyes. Be positive for once. Awa non!
Do you understand preparation – even if we do not get a case but do you know the word proactive? Well do you do everything ad hoc or do you prepare?
Job for the boys. This is the job of the health Team lead by the Chief Epidemiologist and director primary health care. Just rubbish.
gench what are your qualifications? Why don’t you volunteer so you will understand what those committe does. Same for greed. Do you enjoy being negative?
In times of crisis, one prepares for the invetable. Do you remember Hurricane Maria? Certain committees/groups had to be formed because the work load increased. In this case , if God forbids we have suspected cases etc, we need a dedicated someone to do what needs to be done. We need more personnel if we have to develop quarantines and persons so suspected cannot be checked with the usual day t day sick persons etc. So open your eyes everything is not being about negative but analysing situations. Good day to u sir/madam. Puton the thinking cap call common sense. Look the Leader of the Opposition asking for commitee to be formed. What is your take on that? I would really like to hear because the negatives come out once is the Prime MInister and ministers who say something. In the wake of the worldwide pandemonium, it is high time to throw away the old ways and start loving each other and our country man as Jehovah directed us to do. We must hate less and love more.
Job for he boys and girls. So what is wrong with the Primary Health Director the efficient health team in Dominica.
Dissident,you and your bunch of UWP crooks and traitors,we do not need you and your advise.We did not get it during MARIA,we do not want it now.It is traitors like you and Viewsexpressed who want to see this country fall.THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN.UWP are FAKE NEWS EXPERTS and LIARS.Linton said close the BORDERS,we are doing that,hope he will help people FINANCIALLY…………..