Recruit rushed to Florida Hospital
Kathy Barrett
While a Jamaica Defense Force recruit (JDF) recuperate in a Florida Hospital, Health authorities in Jamaica are still trying to determine the cause of the mysterious illness that the recruit and 79 of his colleagues contracted last week.
The symptoms, similar to flu symptoms, of this mysterious illness emerged as training was in progress at the JDF’s camp in Twickenham Park in the central Jamaican parish of St. Catherine. With all 80 recruits displaying the symptoms they were rushed to the JDF base – Up Park Camp in Kingston.
While several of the young soldiers have been released and have even returned to training, others are being closely monitored, including the recruit who was flown to a Florida hospital last week. The name or exact location of the hospital has not been released by Jamaican health officials.
According to Chief Medical Officer of Health in Jamaica, Dr. Winston De La Haye, the health of the young man – whose name has not been disclosed, has showed signs of improvement.
“Information from the Florida hospital’s intensive care unit is that the young recruit was able to correspond with his mother on Christmas Day via a video call. He is gradually being taken off the incubator he had been placed on and gradually he is showing signs of improvement. His father is there with him as well as an officer from the Jamaica Defense Force.”
Meanwhile, the JDF has confirmed that several instructors have also been affected by the mystery illness.
Civil/Military Co-operation Officer for the JDF, Major Basil Jarrett says based on the close-knit nature of the training environment in which instructors and recruits work, it is not surprising that some of the trainers have been affected.
However, the source and nature of the illness continues to be a mystery. This has prompted Jamaica’s Health Ministry to contact the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) for assistance in determining the source.
In giving the latest update on investigations on Wednesday, Dr. De La Haye said influenza has been ruled out and environmental samples are being collected from the JDF’s camp and these will be sent overseas.
“It is hard to say how soon we will be able to identify what it is. But we had initial discussions with PAHO and we have been in constant collaboration with them,” he said.
