Sandy Bay Health Centre under termite attack
Published:Wednesday | September 7, 2022 | 12:10 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE SANDY Bay Health Centre in Hanover has a serious termite infestation problem and the members of staff at the much-used medical facility are fearful that unless the situation is addressed urgently, the building may collapse.
“This situation (the termite infestation) did not just crop up overnight, it has been there for some time. It has been reported to the Hanover Health Department (HHD), but nothing is being done, and it is getting worse by the day,” a member of staff, who asked not to be identified, told The Gleaner.
When The Gleaner visited the health centre, which is the second most visited health facility in the parish behind the Noel Holmes Hospital, even patients were expressing their displeasure with the situation.
“How can this environment be healthy for people to work in, or for me to come seek medical assistance?” one patient asked.
The termite infestation is in plain sight of anyone who visits the facility, as it can be seen from inside the building and the outside. The level of the infestation is getting worse by the day.
Staffers say that the Sandy Bay Health Centre was refurbished in recent years. However, the termite infestation was first noticed in the latter part of 2021.
“The inside nesting is in the public health area, and they (the termites) are in the walls and partitions in that area, and also in the roof and on the outside of the building in several areas,” a staffer outlined to The Gleaner. “We hope that, by making this public, we will get some much-needed attention.”
Some 20 members of staff are based at the facility, which attends to between 50 and 70 patients daily. The numbers are significantly higher on specialised clinic days.
While public health inspectors attached to the HHD have said that they are aware of the situation, they contended that it is outside of their portfolio responsibility.
When contacted, Dr Kaushal Singh, the medical officer of health (MOH) for Hanover, told The Gleaner that infrastructural matters are the responsibility of Adwayne Beckford, the parish manager.
“Those are administrative things; it is not my technical aspect. However, I have not received any complaint relative to that. I will have to check with my team.”
Repeated efforts to contact Beckford have been unsuccessful, as he is always either in a meeting or out of office.