CATADUPA, St James - For years the lack of a reliable supply of water at the Catadupa Health Centre located in deep rural St James has been hindering the delivery of health care at the facility.

Fed up with the long-standing problem, representatives of the St James Health Department and members of the community joined hands and hearts on Labour Day, in an effort to provide a reliable supply of the precious commodity to the centre.

With shovels and pick axes in hand, the team embarked on the digging of a ditch and the laying of pipes as they worked feverishly to set up a system to take water from a nearby river to the centre.

Though meeting for the first time, the team was able to divide tasks based on skill, as they worked harmoniously in getting the job done.

By the end of day the pipes were laid and connected to the existing water supply at the centre.

Public Relations Officer at the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA) Jodianna Clarke said further work will be done to properly secure the pipes and put in place the necessary chlorination system.

She commended Noel Atkinkson, a resident of Catadupa, for allowing his pump to be used as part of the project.

"The citizens of Catadupa expressed their heartfelt gratitude for this initiative spearheaded by the St James Health Department and pledged their support to help in anyway possible to have their health centre improved," Clarke told the Observer West.

The Catadupa Health Centre which is a Type II facility has played a major role in providing primary health care to residents of St James. This facility provides services which include family planning, immunization, mental health, midwifery and environmental health.

"As the first point of contact to members of the community, there is a concerted effort to push for improvements in these services from a regional, as well as a national level. Improving the availability of water for this facility through community participation provides the benefits of improving these services but it is also a step in the direction of making quality healthcare accessible to the Catadupa community," Clarke explained.