ACTIVE cases of the COVID-19 virus have shrunk from the 50s to just under two dozen in a week.

Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo congratulated the public for their self-control on National Day, which stopped the pandemic spreading.

Over 40,000 swabs have been carried out so far on the Rock, which has a population of around 32,000.

Minister for Health Samantha Sacramento will now give health workers extra training after her visit to the GHA last week.

Customer care has long been a criticism of government departments and she is introducing new courses for frontline staff.

The training will be especially focused toward call operators, using scenarios they normally find themselves in when dealing with the public.

The government said it ‘will assist them in handling calls and some of the difficult situations in which they find themselves’.

‘I am aware that our frontline GHAteams are frequently confronted with
tricky problems to deal with,” said Sacramento.

“I am also mindful of complaints that can arise in stressful situations when someone is not feeling well.

“It is vital that we provide our teams with the skills and the experience to handle these problems as effectively as possible.

She highlighted that the aim was ‘not to criticise but rather to provide maximum support for our staff’.

Planning for the training has already started looking at the main issues so it can start as soon as possible.

The Primary Care Centre workers will get the training first, before being rolled out to all Gibraltar Health Authority frontline staff.

It is no secret that health complaints are some of the highest on the list of the annual ombudsman’s report.

Experts recommend better communication to avoid unnecessary suffering as we head toward a possible second wave of COVID-19 in winter.

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