MINISTER of Health and Wellness Dr Christopher Tufton is imploring citizens to be careful where they are accessing water from for consumption as drought conditions continue.

“We are concerned about the drought conditions and the impact it is having on the availability of water and public health. We have sent out an advisory for persons to monitor the water they consume,” he noted.

Dr Tufton, who was speaking to JIS News during the ministry’s Know Your Numbers tour stop at Independence Park in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, recently, urged people to contact the public health department if they have any questions about the cleanliness of their water source.

He said that special precautions must be taken during periods of drought as cases of water-borne illnesses such as gastroenteritis tend to increase.

Medical officer for Westmoreland Dr Marcia Graham said that not having access to safe water to wash hands or prepare food puts people at risk for gastroenteritis and other diseases.

“If [people] come down with vomiting and diarrhoea and if they don’t have safe water to drink and to mix the rehydration salt for the treatment of [those] symptoms to prevent dehydration, that can [also] become an issue,” she said.

“We need to make sure that we treat all water that we get as [though it is] unsafe water. We need to make it safe by boiling, or by using chlorine. Once we have done that, then that water can be used for food preparation to make drinks, to cook with — and so we ask persons to pay attention to that,” she said.

Dr Graham said that people must wash their hands properly before eating and after using the bathroom, and to seek medical assistance if they are experiencing symptoms of gastroenteritis such as vomiting and diarrhoea. “Especially if it’s a child, bring them early to the health centre, to their private doctor, or to the hospital so we can give them the appropriate rehydration — whether by mouth or by setting an intravenous (IV) line. We need to intervene early because dehydration can be deadly if we delay,” she warned.

The islandwide Know Your Numbers tour, which commenced last year, is designed to encourage Jamaicans to know the numbers that are vital to their health and well-being.