Red Cross volunteers educated and trained in contact tracing against COVID-19 |09 March 2020

Saturday’s training session in full swing (Photo: Jude Morel)

Some 50 volunteers and staff of the Red Cross Society of Seychelles can now be called upon to provide help in contact tracing in the fight against the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.

The participants on Saturday attended a first half-day education and training session at the Red Cross Society of Seychelles (RCSS) headquarters in Providence, with the aim of helping the Ministry of Health should the need arise.

This first session was organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and covered issues including surveillance of coronavirus, safety procedures in work and public places and personal hygiene, as well as the importance of contact tracing.

Contact tracing is a fundamental part of outbreak control that is used by public health professionals around the world to prevent the spread of viruses.

It is the process of identification of persons who may have come into contact with an infected person and subsequent collection of further information about these contacts.

Anita Bonne, facilitator of the session from the disease surveillance and response unit of the Ministry of Health, noted that relevant procedures are in place and are already being implemented to deal with the coronavirus.

“The objective of the session held today (Saturday), is because we feel there may be a necessity for us to reach out to our partners and the Red Cross being one of our key partners in relation to national preparedness activities, we are sensitising our volunteers on the virus itself and introduce them to the measures in place for contact tracing if the need for such arises. As a contact tracer, their responsibilities involve tracing contacts and monitoring them, information gathering and to relay such information to the medical team if a contact shows any symptoms or makes it through the stipulated period without any symptoms,” Miss Bonne noted.

The RCSS like other national societies is always on standby to help with emergencies and or disasters and the coronavirus is no exception. 

RCSS’ secretary general Marie-May Bastienne pointed out that it is important that the volunteers and staff are well informed on the issue so as to be better prepared and assist in the dissemination of information to other volunteers and the public in general.

“We also believe that knowing about the virus is one important way of helping to prevent the spread of the disease. And that information posted on social media and other unofficial sources should be verified before posting or sharing,” said Ms Bastienne.

Volunteer Colette Servina, who also attended the session, said it was very fruitful and one in which the volunteers learned a lot and had their queries about the deadly coronavirus addressed.

“I think the session went very well. The participants had a lot of questions which shows that they are interested. I think it is particularly noteworthy that Anita was able to convince them that they can be of help to the ministry in the instance of an outbreak and they were at the beginning very sceptical but by the end of the session, they were the same ones encouraging others to support the ministry,” Mrs Servina said.

The RCSS is keeping close and constant contact with its partners, including the government, and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and is ready to help in any way needed.

Laura Pillay and RCSS