MOE ON DENGUE CONCERNS

CCNTV6

With the Ministry of Health stating today that there have been over 1,050 laboratory confirmed cases of Dengue Fever and eleven confirmed dengue deaths for the year so far, one member of parliament is raising concern about the preparedness of schools to deal with the disease.  Princes Town MP Barry Padarath called on the Minister of Education to tell the public what measures have been taken to protect the nation’s children who return to schools on Monday, as well as to say what mechanisms are in place to deal with any potential outbreak at a school.  He was speaking with reporters following the commissioning of a school in New Grant Friday.

Transcript

00:00Of the 11 confirmed deaths related to the mosquito-borne dengue virus in the country,

00:06reports suggest that at least three were children.

00:10And with the new school year two days away, Princestown MP Bari Padarath is questioning

00:16the government's level of preparedness amid a spike in cases across the country.

00:22Right in Moruga Tableland, in this neighbouring constituency, where an eight-year-old child

00:26died of dengue.

00:28You see that there was no treatment, no medication at the hospitals.

00:32So I would have thought that the minister would have come to allay the fears, having

00:36had the opportunity two days ahead of school opening to allay the fears of parents, teachers

00:43and those in the community that know that there are challenges at these schools, particularly

00:48challenges at rural schools where you have a lot of derelict vehicles.

00:52Speaking with reporters following the commissioning of the Sisters Road Anglican Primary School

00:57in Newgrant on Friday, MP Padarath said he believes children who attend many rural schools

01:04are especially at risk given the condition of their surroundings.

01:09There's water soaked, there's waterlogged, there are a lot of holes, there are a lot

01:13of barrels, etc., catching water in these areas and it is a breeding ground.

01:18These schools are known to be breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

01:22Earlier on at the event, Minister of Education Dr Nayan Gatsby-Dawley said measures have

01:28been taken to ensure schools that requested spraying on their compounds are being facilitated.

01:35Schools that requested, I know that the Ministry of Health is accommodating.

01:39We would have written, I would have written to the Minister of Health with a list of schools

01:42that were having difficulty getting their spraying scheduled and the minister responded

01:47that they are scheduling the schools and giving them priority for spraying.

01:50So as many as requested, the Ministry of Health is dealing with it.

01:54Cindy Raghubar, Tika Singh, TV6 News.

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