KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, says environmental health teams are working closely with the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and other agencies to access remote communities following reports of dead animals and deceased persons being marooned in communities after Hurricane Melissa.

“Having secured some communication, having cleared some of the roadways, and now having the mobility to go into communities, we can now target particular areas while we work with the authorities [and] the other agencies to secure other areas,” Dr Tufton said.

He was responding to questions posed by journalists on Saturday.

Dr Tufton said access to some areas has been limited due to damage to roadways, thus delaying reporting and assistance.

“The team would be on the lookout for what you have just mentioned. So, dead animals, for example, proper disposal of those carcasses. Clearly, if it’s the worst of a dead body, then there is a mechanism for that. When I was in Westmoreland at the hospital, they were taking in a few bodies and some of them were marooned in communities. So, it took a little while to access them, and you wouldn’t have known until someone raised the alarm that this was the case because of the nature of the accessibility and so on,” he explained.

He said that once access and notification have been provided, the JDF provides the necessary air support to reach affected areas.

“We also have arrangements with different entities to pick up and to drop off and so on, and I did, I did witness at least three or so, um, when I was at Sav [Savanna-la-Mar]. There are also persons who are injured. You know, one man who broke his leg and was at home for like three days because he couldn’t get access, and he came in while I was there. But the environmental health team, numbering 600 in an ideal scenario, would be out there,” he said.

The health minister noted that he does not yet have official numbers on the death toll, but explained that updates will come from the Minister of Information, Dr Dana Morris Dixon, once police reports are compiled.

The death toll from Category Five Hurricane Melissa is now at 19.

—Vanassa McKenzie