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Western quartet hunt 4th straight

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This fantastic photo captures Irwin High’s airborne goalkeeper, Shemar Thelwel, reaching for the ball from a glancing header by Green Pond High’s talisman and winger, Chevaughn Duncan, as teammates and opponents watched in awe during the ISSA/WATA da’Costa Cup Zone ‘A’ match at Green Pond on Saturday. Green Pond ended the contest with nine players, but won 2-1.

Noelita Lawrence

The Group ‘B’ pair of defending champions Rusea’s and Frome Technical, along with Cornwall College, STETHS and seven other teams, will be gunning for a fourth straight victory when pulsating midweek action continues in the ISSA/WATA da’Costa Cup Football Competition.

Teams will continue their hunt for vital points as they continue their push for Inter Zone spots as well as qualification to the prestigious Ben Francis Cup.

Cornwall College will seek to continue their dominance of Zone ‘A’ when they come up against lowly Maldon at Cornwall in one of 12 games to be played later today, Wednesday (September 19) featuring western schools.

The red-and-gold-clad school on Pleasant Hill is expected to continue their winning streak as they stroll to a table-topping finish in the zone and a berth in the Inter Zone round.

The clash should be an easy affair for the Cornwall team as they will be facing a Maldon team that has failed to secure a win so far and has tallied just a single point from their previous three matches played.

Maldon pulled off a massive upset last year, beating the much-fancied Cornwall in the first clash of the campaign.

Also in the zone, fellow strugglers Irwin and Anchovy battle, while another interesting affair sees Green Pond High at home to St. James High.

St. James High is coming off a drawn result in their last outing while Green Pond High won their encounter and with just a point separating the two, a keen tussle is expected.

Green Pond will be handicapped as two of their better defenders will miss the encounter after being given red cards in their last outing.

Rusea’s down in second position in their zone on goal difference put their perfect record on the line against cellar dwellers Merlene Ottey.

The ‘Russians’ trail Frome by five goals entering the showdown, but know they cannot afford to drop a point against a team that has yet to find the back of the net in their previous games and are yet to tick off a win.

The early front runners, Frome Technical will also be on the road when they come face-to-face with Green Island and Hopewell and Cambridge clash.

Over in Zone ‘B’, former two times champions Herbert Morrison Technical High still on a high from recording their first win, go for a first win on home turf in five meetings dating back to last campaign when they line up at home against winless Holland and ex-‘Compre’ coach Dane Randall.

Victory for ‘Compre’ and defeat for the teams above them could see them catapult into the top three.

Zone leaders Cedric Titus and William Knibb meet in the day’s other affair while in Trelawny Muschett tackle second placed Spot Valley hoping to spring a surprise.

Just two points separates first from fourth in the Zone, so the top four teams are expected to go all out for wins as they bid to stay in the hunt for progress.

Five times winners STETHS will also be defending a four-game winning streak while their rivals Munro College tottering and yet to record a win, got for their first three points of the season at home to Maggotty.

 

FOUR KILLED IN 7 HOURS

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The crime scene along Norman Manley Boulevard in Negril where jerk vendor Wayne Sweetland was robbed and shot dead. Two other persons were injured in the attack.

Barrington Flemming – Staff Reporter

The parish of Westmoreland has now claimed the title of the murder capital of the West, as murders continue unabated there with rampaging gunmen claiming the lives of four persons, including a 16-year-old student, over a 7-hour period on Monday. Four men were also shot and wounded.

The murder tally in the parish is now reported at 104 since Monday.

The deceased have been identified as 16-year-old Manning’s School student, Shamar Tomlinson of Crowder District, Grange Hill; 20-year-old Davian Malcolm of Ricketts Street, Savanna-la-Mar; 32-year-old Renaldo Reid, otherwise called ‘Boom’ of Coolie Town, Fort Williams and 42-year-old Wayne Sweetland, a jerk vendor of Norman Manley Boulevard, Negril.

Reports indicate that the murderous rampage began in the early hours of Monday morning when about 2:30 a.m., Reid was at home when the door to his house was kicked in by armed men.

It is alleged that the men demanded money and when their demands were not met, they took Reid outside and shot him several times. The men also robbed his female companion of cell phones and a quantity of cash. Reid, who received multiple gunshot wounds, was subsequently taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Shamar Tomlinson

A mere ten minutes later, Tomlinson was sleeping inside the family house  at Crowder District, when unknown assailants reportedly kicked off the door, entered and opened gunfire at him.

He reportedly ran from the house and was chased and shot several times to his upper body. The police were alerted and came to the scene where they found Shamar’s motionless body with a gunshot wound to the head lying face down on the ground in his yard.

SWEETLAND

The lawmen were kept busy throughout the morning as over in the resort town of Negril about 4:28 a.m., Sweetland, who had just packed up his stall, was standing along the Norman Manley Boulevard with other persons when it is alleged that armed men on a motorcycle drove up and proceeded to rob them. Some persons ran and explosions were heard.

Renaldo Reid

On arrival of the Police, Sweetland and two other persons were seen with gunshot wounds. They were taken to hospital where Sweetland was pronounced dead.

The fourth murder was committed later in the evening as reports from the Savanna-la-Mar Police are that about 8:30 p.m., Malcolm and two other men were standing at a shop along Ricketts Street when it is alleged that a motorcar drove up, from which two men alighted with guns and opened fire at them.

The Police were alerted and on their arrival, Malcolm along with the two other persons were seen with gunshot wounds. They were taken to hospital where Malcolm was pronounced dead and the others admitted.

MOTHER FAINTED

Initial reports are that Shamar’s mother, upon hearing of her son’s death, fainted and was rushed to the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital for treatment.

Principal of Manning’s School, Steve Gordon, says the school is still in a state of shock and mourning and they are slowly trying to come to terms with what could have caused the gruesome death of a very promising, well-loved student.

“We are still giving counselling to a select number of students, and on Monday we had to divide the students into groups for grief counselling. We are trying to keep abreast of Shamar’s class because he becomes the second student from the class to have died over a short period.”

Mr. Gordon described Shamar as a quiet, jovial student who did average work but showed the potential to achieve.

“He had the ability to create good rapport and camaraderie among his classmates and other students. He was a compassionate student, as was attested by a fourth former who broke down when he heard of his death as Shamar was one of those who visited him when he was ill in hospital,” Mr. Gordon concluded.

All Starz

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THE JOY OF WINNING: Seemingly very satisfied with themselves, delighted members of the Catherine Hall All Stars team beam with joy as their leader, Goyan Malcolm, collects their winner’s trophy from Western Basketball Association Executive member and Justice of the Peace, Deon Stern (1st right) following their triumph in the Elite League final against Knights at the Montego Bay Cricket Club. All Stars won the series 2-0 to lift the crown. Noelita Lawrence photo

Elite League

Noelita Lawrence – Staff Reporter

The elasticity and crisp shooting of Michael Schloss were on display as Catherine Hall All Stars proved the doubters wrong and stunningly re-wrote the form book to hoist the 2018 edition of the Western Basketball Association’s (WBA) Elite League title.

All Stars, with a solid team effort and a breath-taking 37 points from Schloss, destroyed the in-form MoBay Cricket Club Knights 85-80 in the second and decisive game of their best-of-three series to triumph 2-0.

Schloss, who tip-toed around the court in the early part of the contest, dominated in the latter parts, with his  slashes and knee-dropping crossover dribbles in guiding the All Stars to their second hold on the title in four years.

The championship affair also marked the first time in four years that the dethroned champions, Granville Jaguars, were not in the contest for the title.

All Stars cantered into the ascendancy and made their intentions to claim victory clear from the get go, storming to a 15-2 and 22-6 advantage against the usually slow-starting Knights, who this time failed to recover, crashing in sensational fashion.

The Goyan Malcom-captained All Stars opened up a solid 28-15 lead at the close of the opening quarter and though the Knights rallied, outscoring them 26-20 in the second quarter, they still went into the break down by seven, trailing 48-41.

Knights again continued their rich scoring form into the third quarter, dropping another 26 points on the back of a couple of a timely three pointers from Omroy Kerr, Ralique Grant and Antonio Spence. They, however, failed to put a strangle hold on the All Stars’ shooting and slipped further behind.

Antonio Spence and Jhuan Bryan each missed sitters for the Knights, most of them uncontested lay-ups.

All Stars wobbled a bit and twice allowed Knights back into the contest, but after twice cutting the double-digit deficit to a single point, the Knights failed to hold on and were condemned to the beating.

Flamboyant with his skills and outrageous with some of his dribbles, Schloss, who at one stage of the third quarter left his former schoolmate and friend flat on his backside with a deft crossover dribble to the delight of the fans, was assisted by Vaughan Corke who added 19 points and snatched 13 rebounds.

The two were the only ones to get into double figures.

For the Knights, a battling Antonio Spence led the way with 23 points and snatched 9 rebounds while Kerr, who had a good playoff performance in the shooting department, closed out what could be his last campaign with 18 points, 6 rebounds and four steals.

An obviously tired Captain Jhuan Bryan, who willed his way to the final whistle, laboured to a double-double, 13 points and 13 rebounds.

Ralique Grant contributed 10 points and also had 8 assists.

Mayor Davis not pleased with NSWMA

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Mayor Homer Davis

Mayor of Montego Bay and Chairman of the St. James Municipal Corporation, Councillor Homer Davis, has again expressed disappointment with the manner in which the National Solid Waste Management Authority, NSWMA, is operating in St. James.

Speaking at the regular monthly meeting of the St. James Municipal Corporation on Thursday, September 13, 2018, Mayor Davis said complaints continue to flood Councillors about the non-collection of domestic solid waste, especially in the rural parts of the parish.

He added that while residents have been complaining, reports of non-collection of commercial garbage have been non-existent, which is a clear indication that the NSWMA has moved away from its core duties and has been placing it on making money.

Mayor Davis said “NSWMA needs to refocus on its core duties of collecting domestic waste and give private contractors the franchise to collect and remove commercial waste. The agency was established to collect and remove domestic solid waste and over the years it has shifted its focus to removing commercial waste simply because of the financial returns associated with that. I am however stating here and now that NSWMA in St. James must return to its core function and leave the commercial side of things to private contractors”.

He pointed out that while he understands that NSWMA needs to earn its keep, monies which it will lose by franchising out the collection of commercial garbage to private contractors can be realized through the collection of tipping fees at the landfill.

“I understand that the agency must earn and commercial garbage collection is a lucrative venture. However, funds which may be lost by giving up the commercial aspect can be recovered through the collection of tipping fees. I am adamant that the NSWMA must return to the collection and disposal of residential waste before it undertake any commercial activity”, a strident Mayor Davis said.

He said he will be convening a meeting between the Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Hon. Desmond McKenzie, the Executive Director of the NSWMA, Audley Gordon and Councillors of the St. James Municipal Corporation where the vexing issue of the agency’s operation in St. James will be discussed.

Mayor Davis said “I am very serious about getting the NSWMA to prioritize the collection and disposal of domestic waste in St. James. Focus on commercial activities by the agency can remain in other parishes, but the mode of operation in this parish must change. Our citizens pay taxes which help to underwrite the cost of solid waste disposal and they must start getting value for their money”.

 

CRH expands A&E Dept.

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Stakeholders of the Cornwall Regional Hospital pour into the newly expanded unit of the Accident and Emergency Department. The expanded facility was revealed last Thursday in a ceremony held at the institution.

Sashane Shakes

Hospital users from St. James and its environs will now be able to benefit from a brand-new expansion of the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department at the Cornwall Regional Hospital (CRH), which is a welcomed reprieve from the tent toward the back of the institution.

The expansion comes in light of the major blow-up of the issues stemming from a lack of maintenance and accountability over the years, which saw the removal of the services from the main building being relocated toward the back of the hospital in recent months. And although the authorities implemented the safety gauze of utilizing the Mount Salem Clinic as a temporary A&E Department, this included inconveniences in the form of inadequate space and limited room space for minor surgery procedures wherein emergencies require immediate attention.

The newly expanded department was revealed last week Thursday by the Ministry of Health and the Western Regional Health Authority in a hand-over ceremony held at the Cornwall Regional Hospital.

The A&E Department should be benefiting from improved customer service as well, as with the expansion, health officials also revealed the launch of the Compassionate Care Programme (CCP). Apart from the health service that is provided at the institution, the CCP was designed specifically to improve the customer service experience of the patients. “We must deliver our service with compassion because compassion is therapeutic. When people believe you care about them, even when they’re in the midst of their emergency, they start to heal even from that point,” said Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton.

Although construction has already been initiated, there was the ground-breaking for a stand-alone unit of the Radiology Department which was lead by members of the relevant health authorities. Completion of the construction will mitigate the expense of outsourcing which includes diagnostics costs that have recently amounted to an excess of $21 million, and CTC scans at private facilities which have amounted to $37.5 million. This is expected to be an economically viable option, and logistically, the stand-alone unit is conveniently erected next to the A&E Department, which is beneficial in terms of capacity and layout of the buildings.

To combat the issue of bed space, it was announced that in a few weeks, there will be several additional beds catering to inpatient care outside of the main building. “Our biggest problem now is to provide bed space and I can assure you… we are in the process of providing 80 additional beds… to ease the congestion that we’re having there,” said Dr. Delroy Fray, Clinical Coordinator.

Dr. Tufton outlined, however, that “This is not an unveiling of the new Cornwall Regional.” He highlighted that while they are cognizant of the need to expedite restoration of the main building, and are working toward achieving same, services have been taking place regardless.

‘SOPE has not lost its sting’ – Powell

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ACP Elan Powell

Barrington Flemming – Staff Reporter

 

With a hail of criticism swirling over the effectiveness of the State of Public Emergency (SOPE) in St. James, Elan Powell, Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of SOPE, has sought to assure the public that the vaunted crime-fighting measure has not lost its sting and is still very effective.

ACP Powell related to the Western Mirror that despite criticisms, the SOPE is still as effective as when it was first introduced, but he explained that the security forces have had to respond to myriad changes by criminal elements and violence producers and the strategies used would reflect those changes.

“It is still very effective. If some people are of the notion that it has been scaled down, it has not been. It is as vibrant and effective as can be. Incidents will happen and we can’t prevent every incident, though we have prevented many.”

“The criminals are not going to be just waiting on us doing the same thing; they have changed their modus operandi, we have changed ours. So, you are going to see different things happening,” he explained.

He went on further to point out that the SOPE has been in the parish for the past nine months and the operations will not remain the same every day, but must change to suit the situations as they arise.

Members of the joint security forces carrying out operations at a checkpoint in the St. James State of Public Emergency.

“We don’t want to be oppressive; what we want to do is to ensure that while we want to maintain control, people are still free to go about their legitimate business. It should not appear oppressive we are here to ensure that the people who we are concerned about are treated well and those good, law-abiding citizens are not significantly negatively impacted by the operations. So, the parish and the country still go on despite the fact that we have the SOPE here.”

VIOLENCE IN GRANVILLE

Turning his attention to the recent flare-up of violent killings in Granville, ACP Powell said a series of targeted operations have been ongoing in the community which has so far resulted in the seizure of a high-powered weapon.

“Right now, Granville is locked down. We have had several operations ongoing in Granville. Incidents will happen but what is important is how we relate to those incidents. There is s strong security presence there and we have been searching house to house. We found a 9MM pistol up there so we are dealing with that area,” ACP Powell related.

Quizzed about sporadic incidents in some problem areas in St. James, ACP Powell said: “Many areas are still of concern in St. James and we are paying attention to all areas. We can’t be in each area at the same time as we would like to be but we are not leaving any area unattended, we are achieving the objective of continuing to reduce incidents of violent crimes,” he concluded.

The State of Public Emergency was introduced on January 18 this year.

Dennis’ bold new book

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Here, author Denise Dennis (centre) poses with a few of her supporters at the recent launch of her much-talked about new book, ‘Poetic Bulls**t’. Those wishing to purchase a copy can contact Dennis on Instagram, or order the book on Amazon.com.

Michael Nattoo – Staff Reporter

Denise Dennis

If you’ve been paying attention over the last couple of weeks, particularly among writing circles, you’d realize that the name Denise Dennis is slowly but surely making the rounds. The former Hampton School student has always known herself to be a writer, and with her second book out, ‘Poetic Bulls**t’, the first being ‘Diary of Indigo Tears’, that fact is becoming even more apparent.

It’s usually a public relations tool for an author to praise his/her work as being better than the last, but when we had a chance to examine Dennis’ most recent book ourselves, we knew her words were far from exaggeration. ‘Poetic Bulls**t’ is a bold attempt at capturing the author’s progression through pain, and the maturity that comes as a result of using that pain to fuel emotional and spiritual healing in the most profound of ways.

In many ways, Dennis revealed to us, ‘Poetic Bulls**t’ doubles as a form of liberating rebellion, as well as an expression of her unapologetic acceptance of parts of herself that would otherwise be rejected by society.

HONESTY AND INSPIRATION

Just how did the young writer embark upon this journey to find the courage to put such a deeply personal piece of work out there? Robert Pattinson. Well, kinda. She explains, “Five years ago, I was watching a show starring Robert Pattinson where he said: ‘Does everything have meaning, or is it just poetic bulls**t?’ I chose that title because I felt it conveyed a certain level of realness. I could have chosen something less offensive, but that wouldn’t have been an honest reflection of how I was feeling, and that would betray what my poetry would have been about.”

The young writer, despite hesitations by some, pressed ahead with that title. She reasoned that if she is doing a project that is founded on honesty and real-life experiences, then there should be no reason why the title of such a project should seek to sugarcoat the often times painful lessons she has had to learn. “I can’t allow myself to be scared of what people might think if I chose a particular title. The irony is, however, once you read the book, you’ll find that it’s not bulls**t, but that it’s just raw poetry,” Dennis expressed.

FROM TEARS TO RECOVERY

Dennis’ last book, Diary of Indigo Tears, came from experiences around relationships, but this project, despite having elements of that, is much different. In this bold collection of poems, Dennis uses her poetry to convey her journey of recovery, and how she matured beyond that place of hurt that served as the foundation for her first book. “I discovered that the whole purpose of life is for us to grow into the best us possible. And when you finally understand how the growing process works, you begin to appreciate and love yourself,” she explained. Therein you’ll find the true beauty of Dennis’ book. It’s a crystal clear portrayal of the healing process, and can help others to identify how far along they are in that process, and just how to get to the next step. For example, one of the poems read:

“The bravest act

For a woman in love

Is to walk away from

A man who is not.”

This one also happens to be Dennis’ favourite from the book, and it’s pretty self-explanatory. For those hurting, sometimes it’s not as easy to identify the way forward, but having this book and its lessons as a guide can only serve to help you progress, like Dennis did, through the pain.

THROUGH THE PAIN

“I think many of us settle for less just because we are of the belief that that is what we deserve. Many of us stay in toxic relationships only because we are too scared we will lose that feeling and never get it back. Because we are so caught up in how in love we are, we don’t realize how not in love the other person is,” Dennis explained, further adding that this is where it takes the strength to walk away, and move towards the recovery. That reason, among the others in the book, is why she chose to write this book.

Now fully recovered and aware of her strengths and how she came to find them, Dennis is hoping she may be able to do that for someone out there too. “Nothing breaks me easily anymore,” she revealed.

“I hope this book inspires everyone that reads it. I hope it inspires them to be better, to feel free and to be comfortable with themselves. I hope it teaches everyone to heal at their own pace without feeling the need to rush or be sad,” Dennis concluded.

The book is five chapters long, was reviewed by Jamaican author Melanie Schwapp and for those who are interested in learning more about it or getting a copy, find Dennis on Instagram at: Ltspapergirl

 

Murders a challenge for Trelawny police

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Minister Desmond McKenzie addresses the Trelawny Municipal Corporation where he implored residents to collectively work against crime and violence. Seated also are Mayor Colin Gager (left), Deputy Mayor Donovan White and Superintendent of Police Dwight Powell - Shamir Brown photo

Shamir Brown – Trelawny Correspondent

  • McKenzie wants collective approach to deal with issue

Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie, is of the view that what is needed to rein in crime and violence in Trelawny is a collective approach of the citizens in tackling the issues.

He was responding to an update given to him by the crime chief, Superintendent Dwight Powell, in regards to the crime situation in the parish.

Minister McKenzie told a gathering of stakeholders in Trelawny on Thursday that everyone has a role to play in dealing with the question of crime and violence. “Tourism is an important component to the resources of Falmouth and while the local dollar is important, it is also essential to protect the tourism dollar,” he disclosed.

Superintendent Powell had highlighted that while major crimes were down in the parish, there was still a challenge with murders. The parish, he explained, has already recorded 20 murders this year compared to 15 over the same period last year.

He indicated that there was some measure of gang warfare that they needed to bring under control, noting that currently there was situation in the Bunkers Hill community in the Wakefield police division where on Wednesday, law personnel were engaged in shootout with criminal elements. This is the second such confrontation between police and criminals in less than two weeks in that general area. “These are persons who used to make up the Ski Mask Gang, who have come over to the parish,” Superintendent Powell explained. The gang, he points out, is being led by one Adrian Walker o/c ‘Lippy’ and his cronies, and he is appealing to residents with information to come forward to assist the police in apprehending these criminals.

St. James killings

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Kevin Lindo

Barrington Flemming – Staff Reporter

  • Murder-accused, bread vendor victims

Mystery shrouds the death of a murder-accused and a teenage bread vendor, whose lives were gushed out in separate incidents in St James.

The dead men have been identified as 19-year-old Kevin Lindo, bread vendor of McCatty Street and Odane Nesbeth, otherwise called ‘Prince’, a carpenter of Content, district, Adelphi, both in St. James.

A man has been taken into police custody in connection with Nesbeth’s death, however, his identity is being withheld pending further investigations.

About 12:50 Thursday morning, Lindo reportedly drove from his house on McCatty Street to purchase a cup of soup at the nearby Clock Tower area of Barnett Street in Montego Bay. Upon his return home, he was about to park the vehicle when he was pounced upon by unknown assailants who opened gunfire at him.

Lindo was reportedly shot twice in the upper body. He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Meanwhile, the Adelphi Police report that the burnt body of Nesbeth, who is a murder-accused in the July 2017 death of 14-year-old Jordane Blackwood and was out on bail, was discovered by residents in Adelphi on Wednesday.

Nesbeth was last seen in the community on Monday about 8p.m. and when he was not seen on Tuesday, a number of residents went in search of him about 7:30 a.m on Wednesday when they stumbled upon his partially burnt body with chop wounds, in bushes in the community and summoned the police.

Nesbeth was jointly charged along with five other men, Jahreme Shelton, Norval Christopher, Odane Christopher, Renaldo Lee and Kashief Gilbert for the July 29, 2017 death of 14-year-old Jordaine Blackwood of Rose Heights, Montego Bay.

The men were charged with murder and wounding, stemming from the death of the teenager and the injuring of another man.

The allegations are that on July 29, 2017, Blackwood and another man were accused of stealing a firearm belonging to the ‘Buss Head Gang’ of which the six accused were members.

It is further alleged that Blackwood and the other man were beaten, during which Blackwood was shot to death. The other man managed to escape.

Nesbeth, who was offered bail and instructed to report to the police daily and to keep away from Rose Heights, was due to return to court along with the other five men on September 26 to answer to the charges

Dengue watch in Trelawny

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Health Minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton, points out mosquito larvae and demonstrates water treatment to resident, Rhona Nelson, during a public education campaign walk-through in Hague, Trelawny last Friday. Sashane Shakes photo

Sashane Shakes

The Trelawny Health Department has moved to ramp up its vector control and prevention programme to stave off the dreaded Dengue Fever, which has so far claimed the life of one man in that parish. The Ministry of Health has since been keenly monitoring the issue of Dengue Fever outbreak prevention in the parish and in a display of active community involvement, Health Minister, Dr. Christopher Tufton, last Friday, visited Hague to get a first-hand look at the progress of the Enhanced Vector Control Programme (EVCP) in Falmouth.

Whilst participating in the walk-through as part of carrying out a public education campaign, the Minister oversaw inclusively the treatment of water sources – whether deliberate sources or sources that are not planned, inspecting to determine the population of aedes aegypti, treatment, brochure distribution, talking to residents, home inspections, fogging and other activities.

“Our position in the ministry is that this is in fact the most effective way to deal with the threat of vector-borne diseases and in this case, the aedes aegypti population and all the ails that come from it,” affirmed Dr. Tufton.

The work has been effective so far as health personnel have been performing daily tasks of informing community members of mosquito-related illnesses, causes and prevention. Information distributed on a daily basis include: cover all drums, barrels, tanks, buckets and other containers used to store water; cover trash containers to keep out water; get rid of all old tyres, tins, bottles, plastic containers and anything in which rain water can settle.

In addressing the importance of the input of the citizens, Chief Public Health Officer for Trelawny, DelroyMowatt, added that, “Part of it is not just our effort but the households have their part to play also. They would have been educated and should see to the maintenance (of their surroundings) and execute the preventative measures.”

A two-phase initiative, the Enhanced Vector Control Programme, is a vector eradication programme and education implementation in which over 1000 persons will be employed on a phased basis across the island. With the first phase to conclude at the end of September, phase two of the programme commences in October and will last through to December. The programme was strategically implemented to deal with the seasonal increase in mosquito-borne diseases which peak in the summer months.

Strategizing a combative approach, according to the Minister, Trelawny has 10 full-time employees in the vector control unit alone under the community health aid programme which has been deployed in the last few years. Of the 400 employees deployed across the island for phase one of the EVCP, 46 were employed in Trelawny for the temporary period of 3 months. This, Dr. Tufton says, creates “effectively a much bigger team”.

On the ministry’s behalf, Dr. Tufton thanked his team for assiduously ensuring that the people of Trelawny remain updated on this serious health matter. “It’s not an easy job. You have to confront locked gates, bad dogs, unwelcoming citizens, the elements – the sun, the rain – and you still put up with all of that and carry out your jobs and we really appreciate that.”

The Enhanced Vector Control Programme was launched island-wide in July under the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the HOPE programme through the Office of the Prime Minister.

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