ST JAMES, Jamaica— Health promotion and education officer for Westmoreland, Gerald Miller, is urging parents and guardians to heighten their vigilance in securing household chemicals, following the recent passage of Hurricane Melissa.

In an interview with JIS News, he pointed out that many children are now confined to the home, as some schools remain closed.

“With the passing of Hurricane Melissa, which has devastated a lot of homes in the parish of Westmoreland, the health promotion unit is just reminding parents to be very vigilant with their children, since many homes now would have the children staying within that space, given the fact that [some] schools are out,” Miller said.

He noted that families often increase their use of sanitising products after flood events, emphasising that improper storage could put children at risk for accidental poisoning.

“Ensure that the chemicals are not in the reach of the children, because we can have accidental poisoning occurring, which can place our health facilities under extreme stress,” Miller argued.

“We are asking the parents to be extremely careful to secure the chemicals from the children, so as not to have them accidentally swallowing any of these chemicals that can harm them,” he cautioned.

Miller further highlighted the additional pressure the health sector faces during recovery efforts after the hurricane.

“We know that this is a time that our health system becomes very overburdened, and we don’t want children to be victims of accidental poisoning, because of inappropriate storage,” he said.

Despite storage challenges in some homes, Miller urged families to improvise where necessary.

“We know the challenges, and some persons might not have the facility for the storage, but as best as possible, even if you have to hide it in a tree or somewhere, but you can’t have that in your space, so the children can access it,” Miller said.

-JIS