PORT ANTONIO, Portland — Determined to roll out a three-month-long plan they hope will put an end to rats “parading through the business centre of the parish”, Portland’s public health officials will host a meeting Thursday afternoon to get other stakeholders on board. The project’s success depends on their buy-in and financial support.

“The Portland Health Department has crafted a budget of $16.62 million to control and eradicate rodents in three major towns in Portland — Port Antonio, Buff Bay, and Manchioneal. This will cover rodent bait, baiting stations, source reduction activities, cost for town hall meetings, labour costs, media publicity, literature, food and refreshment, and a few other miscellaneous,” Public Health Inspector Samuel Roberts, who is also parish programme specialist for port health and quarantine, told the most recent monthly meeting of the Portland Municipal Corporation.

He painted a grim picture of how rodents have made themselves at home in key sections of the parish.

“There is a high infectious rate of rats in the town of Port Antonio, especially the marina and the town centre, throughout the year. Complaints from residents about their huge size and visibility and sometimes [how they are] parading through the business centre of the parish is embarrassing, to say the least. The [Errol Flynn] Marina, Old Marina, the Boatyard and the wider Port Antonio area negate and diminish the tourism product and our living standards,” Roberts warned.

Rats spread about 15 types of diseases. The concern is that they typically roam the streets at night but are now being seen on the streets during the day. They can also be found in dilapidated buildings. The hope is that adequate disposal of garbage, combined with an education campaign will help reduce breeding sites and reproduction of rats across the parish.

“The health department is taking on this elaborate project to eliminate the rodents and we want to have a sustainable programme which will bring the reduced level of rodents. With the help of all the stakeholders, we will be having a meeting on Thursday, February 20 at 2:00 pm. Depending on the funding commitment we will have a start date,” Roberts explained.

He said support is being sought from Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), the Portland Municipal Corporation, the parish’s wider health department, Port Authority of Jamaica, the local Chamber of Commerce, National Solid Waste Management Authority, Social Development Commission, National Works Agency, National Water Commission, Port Antonio Hospital, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, all the respective members of parliament, local business operators and other community interests.

Roberts is hoping that with their help Portland can “maintain a negligible health risk”. He explained the stages of the plan, once it gets the support needed. One phase will see work done in central Port Antonio. It will cover the area from Folly Road, the Portland Infirmary Breastworks, through the town centre to Bryans Bay. It will also include the Titchfield Peninsula, Port Antonio Hospital and the three ports of entries — the Boatyard, Old Marina. and Errol Flynn Marina — as well as the pier.

Another phase will cover Buff Bay, from Lynch Park by Sixth Avenue and Dobson Scheme while the Manchioneal phase will cover the community’s police station and health centre then run through the town to Barracks and Sand Shore Housing Scheme as well as Manchioneal Primary School.

The initiative, which is expected to last for eight to 12 weeks, will also involve meeting with food vendors, a school sensitisation programme, community engagement and educating the public on the importance of allowing health inspectors to count and remove dead rats.