By Admin. Updated 8:13 p.m., Monday, August 10, 2026, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
The Ministry of Health, Wellness, Environmental Health and Energy (MOHWEE) says it is closely monitoring four confirmed cases of a drug-resistant bacterium detected at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH), while reassuring the public that there is no indication of an increased immediate risk to the wider community.
In a statement issued on Monday (August 10), the Ministry said routine laboratory testing and antimicrobial resistance surveillance identified four patients with wound infections caused by Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) carrying the New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) resistance mechanism.
According to the Ministry, Acinetobacter baumannii is a bacterium that can cause infections, particularly among people who are seriously ill or receiving treatment in hospital. The CRAB strain is resistant to carbapenems, a class of powerful antibiotics commonly reserved for severe infections, while the NDM enzyme enables the bacterium to break down certain antibiotics, making treatment more challenging.
Health officials stressed that antibiotic resistance does not mean infections cannot be treated. Rather, it means that some medicines normally used to combat serious bacterial infections may no longer be effective, requiring alternative treatment approaches.
The Ministry emphasised that the cases were detected through established surveillance systems and said the finding does not place members of the general public at an immediate increased risk. Instead, it has prompted a series of infection control measures aimed at limiting the spread of the organism within the hospital.
Among the actions now being implemented are enhanced infection prevention and control procedures, continued laboratory and environmental testing, ongoing antimicrobial resistance surveillance, contact tracing, investigations into possible epidemiological links between the cases, intensified cleaning and sanitation of the hospital environment and equipment, monitoring for additional cases, and restrictions on elective surgical procedures.
The Ministry noted that antimicrobial resistance is a growing global public health concern. It occurs when bacteria and other microorganisms evolve to survive medicines that were previously effective, making infections more difficult to treat and highlighting the importance of using antibiotics and other antimicrobials responsibly and only as prescribed by qualified healthcare professionals.
While acknowledging that reports of drug-resistant bacteria may cause public concern, the Ministry said the detection of the cases demonstrates that the country’s surveillance systems are functioning as intended by identifying unusual patterns early and allowing public health officials to respond promptly.
The Ministry’s administrative team, together with the management and clinical staff at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital, said they will continue to monitor the situation closely and implement all necessary measures to safeguard patients, healthcare workers and the public.
The ministry’s statement on Monday evening comes after a One News SVG article on Monday morning raising the issue in the public domain.
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