Westmoreland Western MP lobbies for fire education in schools
Wilson pleads case at funeral of Laing siblings who perished in inferno
Published:Monday | October 24, 2022 | 12:09 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
MORLAND WILSON, the member of parliament for Westmoreland Western, is vowing to push for greater awareness of fire safety in schools against the backdrop of the deaths of three young siblings in a house blaze in his constituency last month.
Wilson made the declaration Sunday while attending the funeral for seven-year-old twins Jayden and Jorden Laing and their eight-year-old brother Adrianno Laing at Footprints Seventh-day Adventist Church in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland.
“As it pertains to awareness for fire in particular, I think we could embark on a public education campaign in our schools to educate our youngsters to be aware how to deal with fire in case there is a fire in your house, and knowing who to call. That is one of the steps that I will definitely speak to the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) about, how we can collaborate and partner to raise awareness about fire hazards,” said Wilson.
Jayden, Jorden, and Adrianno perished after their house in Springfield, Westmoreland, was engulfed by fire on September 4. According to reports, the fire started sometime after a candle was lit in the house because of a power outage in the area.
Another sibling, 13-year-old Adrianna Laing, sustained serious burn injuries to 75 per cent of her body and was transported overseas for emergency surgery. Having undergone 15 operations, Adrianna is reportedly breathing on her own and speaking, but faces a long road to recovery.
Acknowledging that there have been increasing calls for the establishment of a burn unit to treat fire victims in Jamaica, he said he would await an update from Minister of Health Dr Christopher Tufton to update the nation on those prospects.
“But what I can say is that what we have seen so far is that there has been tremendous investment in our health services, particularly in the western hemisphere where we have the Cornwall Regional Hospital, so I do not see it as a far stretch for there to be a burn unit. But it will have to be the decision and direction of the ministry,” Wilson said.
Stephen Josephs, project manager for the Sanmerna Foundation, which has organised healthcare for Adrianna, has lobbied for a multi-stakeholder partnership to make the burn unit a reality.
“I am making a passionate appeal and calling on the Government, the Opposition, and the private sector, let us work together to establish a burn unit, even a Level Two unit, and have a memorandum of understanding with an external hospital for level-three burn victims,” said Josephs.