Tristan : Medical Supplies Delivered to Tristan
Submitted by Tristan Times (Sarah Glass) 19.12.2007 (Article Archived on 02.01.2008)

According to a St Helena Government press release the RFA Gold Rover has delivered medical supplies to Tristan da Cunha where the community had been suffering from an outbreak of the flu.

Photo (c) James Glass (Tristan Times) Offloading medical supplies at Tristan da Cunha

MEDICAL SUPPLIES DELIVERED TO TRISTAN

Medical supplies being offloaded at Tristan

By Sarah Glass

According to a St Helena Government press release (but even better, local reports) the RFA Gold Rover has delivered medical supplies to Tristan da Cunha where the community had been suffering from an outbreak of the flu.

A request for an extra supply of flu medicines had been requested by the Island Doctor due to several bouts of flu that circulated the Island when crew and passengers from visiting ships brought them ashore.  Once received by Cape Town Radio, the request was subsequently passed to the British Coast Guard, who inadvertently informed the BBC.

The regular supply of medicines wasn’t due to reach Tristan until 23 January 2008 and this caused concern as at the time the request was made there were three different strains of flu circulating on the Island.

Though several options were discussed the RFA Gold Rover agreed to deliver the necessary medical supplies to the Island and arrived at Tristan on Sunday 16 December.

Captain Paul Minter reported that as a result of medical treatment and the introduction of a number of public health measures by Administrator David Morley, the outbreak had been brought under control on arrival. However, he said that the visit does mean that the Island’s hospital is once again re-supplied with drugs and medicines.

The entire Tristan community has expressed its grateful thanks to the RFA Gold Rover for its kind gesture and the St Helena Government is also extremely grateful. The St Helena Government is also grateful to the Department For International Development, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence for coordinating the operation.

The Gold Rover recently visited St Helena in November of this year.