KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, CMC – The Ministry of Health, Wellness, Environmental Health and Energy (MOHWEE) says it has begun contact tracing and placed restrictions on elective surgeries after a drug-resistant bacterium was found at the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital (MCMH). “The detection of these cases does not mean that members of the general public are at immediate increased risk. This detection has triggered our response to further detect, contain and reduce the spread within the hospital setting,” the ministry said. “Antimicrobial resistance is a growing global public health concern. It occurs when bacteria and other microorganisms develop the ability to survive medicines that were previously effective against them.