Staff stage sit-in at Old Harbour Health Centre

Their bone of contention surrounds the lack of functioning air conditioned units at the facility with several units out of commission for the past six weeks.
 

When Old Harbour News arrived on location, the entrance to the facility was locked with patients standing on the outside being told that only emergency services are being accommodated at the moment.
 

We were told that staff and management were locked in a meeting and advised to speak with officials at the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA), the local governing agency with oversight responsibility for all public health facilities in the parishes of St Thomas, Kingston, St Andrew and St Catherine.
 

Efforts to speak with the affected staff were unsuccessful too, as they are prohibited from engaging the media on such matters.
 

But it is understood that they have written to the management more than once voicing their concerns related to the harsh working conditions due to the malfunctioning AC units.
 

This has made the working environment at the clinic unbearable, exacerbated by high humidity and extreme summer temperatures peaking on average around 95ºF in the daytime.
 

Steve Graham, councillor, Old Harbour Central Division (JLP), when contacted, said he’s aware of the issue and has raised the matter at the municipality.
 

Graham’s opposite number Obryan Leighton says the situation is a major cause for concern.
 

“Based on explanation, what was transpiring is that the air conditioning unit inside would have affected the automated system because of its dysfunctionalities and as such they were not able to do automated registration and had to be doing it manually,” said Leighton, the PNP councillor candidate for Old Harbour Central Division, who noted that concerns have been raised about the privacy of patient’s medical data.
 

“I was able to do a tour of the outskirts of the facility and I realized that this was not the only issue. There are a number of AC units not functioning any at all. I think out of about 12 or thereabouts AC units, only four working or functioning effectively. There is no proper fencing at the Old Harbour Health Centre. So persons or community members just walk through the health centre. Manholes are left open and they have been faced with a situation where mosquitos are affecting staff and patients alike. There is poor structure as it relates to the facility itself, there are a number of cracks, the grills need painting. There are so many things that need to be fixed at the health centre. And we have heard over and over of the new clinic coming and we are yet to see it. It’s like a pipe dream. But given it’s a pipe dream why not fix the facility there now so that persons can work in a conducive environment and patients can be comfortable going to the health centre,” he added.
 

“The situation there will facilitate flooding at some point because when there’s an overflow of the manholes it will become a health hazard.
 

“The regional health authority with responsibility for this particular health centre: someone needs to do something about it. The MP (Member of Parliament), based on my understanding has been contacted on numerous occasions and he doesn’t attend any of the meetings to see what is happening. Where is the councillor for the Old Harbour Central Division who should be so concerned about the situation faced by the employees and the patients that visit that health centre in Old Harbour.
 

“We have to do better and we must do better. Something needs to change and there must be some attention brought to this situation and some actions taken immediately to fix it.”

Dr Sandra Chambers, the SERHA technical director, said, following her own investigation after Old Harbour News brought her attention to the developments, the AC units will be installed “tomorrow” (Friday) and the affected staff “in the health records department” have been informed.
 

“I heard they were back at work today. I spoke with the parish manager and they are back at work,” added Dr Chambers.
 

The community of Old Harbour has been selected for the construction of a new health facility, with ground expected to break later this year.