Steps taken to get rid of rat infestation at Spanish Town Hospital

The St Catherine Health Department said it has identified the source of the rat infestation at the Spanish Town Hospital and has taken steps to eliminate the problem.

Chief public health officer for the parish, Grayson Hutchinson, said that the management at the hospital has implemented the recommendations of the department and the problem will be brought under control soon.

He was delivering the Medical Officer of Health Report at the monthly general meeting of the St Catherine Municipal Corporation last Thursday.

“The hospital has employed a licensed pest control agency, which did an assessment of the facility and has established bay stations across the compound, mainly on the wards that were identified, in bathrooms, corridors, and in areas where it was reported that rats were seen,” Hutchinson disclosed.

He said that 83 bay stations have been set up and are being monitored, trees on the compound that facilitated the presence of roof rats were cut down, external openings have been sealed off, doors affixed with self-closing devices, and old furniture and appliances stored in some areas have been removed.

UNACCEPTABLE STANDARDS

“Patients and staff on Ward 3, where it was reported that rats were seen, have been relocated and the area extensively treated,” the chief public health inspector reported.

Despite the exercise to eliminate the rodents, chairman of the St Catherine Municipal Corporation, Norman Scott, was still not satisfied with the efforts of the health authorities. He accused the Ministry of Health of not doing enough to protect the patients and staff at the hospital from possible diseases borne by the rodents.

“The Spanish Town Hospital is a premier institution and this situation should never have existed there. In fact, we are seeing an increase in rat infestation in other sections of the town, especially on Wellington Street, so I don’t think enough is being done to tackle the problem,” Scott observed.