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  • 2 days ago
Health Secretary Dr Faith Brebnor is tonight denying a number of nursing staff attached to the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA) died as a result of mould present at the Scarborough General Hospital but added short, medium and long term measures have been instituted to treat with the presence of mould at Health facilities in Tobago.

More in this Elizabeth Williams report.
Transcript
00:00The moles that we traditionally have in Tobago, around our homes, around our steps, in our bathroom, in our bedroom,
00:10and the ones even in the health facilities, are not the kinds that are linked to cancers.
00:18Dr. Brebner's comments come on the heels of the Trinidad and Tobago National Nursing Association, TTNNA, calling out the TRHA,
00:28citing at least seven nursing staff deaths at the dialysis unit of the Scarborough Health Center and the mental health
00:37unit of the Scarborough General Hospital within a year.
00:41Dr. Brebner said independent testing was done in the matter.
00:45We have actually had independent people, labs, come in and do the test and confirmed that for us here.
00:59The ones that are linked to cancer are very specific and they are found on certain types of foods and
01:07so forth in other areas, but it's really not the ones that we have here.
01:12Dr. Brebner said the TRHA held a meeting with staff. Condolences were conveyed in the matter. The challenges were identified
01:21and short, medium and long term fixes have been implemented.
01:26What we need to do, though, is ensure that we have proper ventilation so there is a good flow of
01:39air in and out of the place.
01:41We need to ensure that there are no water leaks, so there is no water dropping, dropping, dropping and stagnated
01:52and that kind of stuff.
01:55And those are the main things we need to do.
02:01Meantime, President of the Trinidad and Tobago National Nursing Association, Edie Stewart, said a risk assessment needs to be done
02:09by the TRHA.
02:10The employer would always, I know of no employer, would openly come out and admit our spaces of work are
02:21not to the best.
02:23I generally don't see that. It is for these independent organizations to do that.
02:30Yes, himself cannot exonerate himself from wrongdoing.
02:35Within less than a year, we have six persons already passed away, 6 or 7, and 8-1 is battling
02:43cancer at this point in time.
02:46Elizabeth Williams, TV6 News.
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