Retirement gets sanitary conveniences
THE St James Health Department which has been concerned about the health risk posed by the improper disposal of faecal matter in the squatter settlement of Retirement, has started a project aimed at installing 65 sanitary conveniences in the area.
A survey conducted last year, after some residents complained that waste matter had ended up on their properties, showed that 29 per cent of the 224 homes in the area had no toilet facilities.
“After the survey, we formed the Retirement Health Committee consisting of area residents,” said public health inspector, Kerone McLean.
The committee unearthed a long list of problems including improper garbage disposal, insect and rodent infestation, and an odour nuisance resulting from the nearby municipal dump.
But because improper disposal of faecal matter can result in diseases such as typhoid and cholera, the committee opted to tackle that problem first.
The aim is to install 25 toilets by June, and six have already been installed.
“We tell residents to install the pits and the committee will raise the funds to build the slabs and risers,” McLean said.
There have been donations – in cash and kind – to help with the project; but according to the public health inspector, more help is needed. The Health Committee has opened an account at the Jamaica National Building Society’s Market Street branch where deposits can be made.
The account number is 10021686, and McLean can be contacted at the Catherine Hall Health Department at 971-6680.