HELP STOP DENGUEBy RICHARDSON DHALAI Wednesday, July 28 2010
THERE is no honeymoon whatsoever for the country’s newly elected councillors, as less than 24 hours after Monday’s Local Government Election, 134 councillors were put on notice by Health Minister Therese Baptiste-Cornelis that their first major assignment would be to work together to stop the Dengue Fever outbreak.
The no-nonsense Minister told the 131 councillors (three were absent) at the San Fernando City Corporation that they must identify areas within their burgesses to be cleaned and to also organise spraying exercises from the community level.
In a hard-hitting address, Baptiste-Cornelis warned the councillors from the UNC, COP and PNM, from the 14 regional municipalities that they would have to share responsibility for every person who succumbs to the dangerous mosquito-borne disease.
“Well you all know me right? I am going to get down to brass knuckles. You all were busy walking around, I am sure all of you are very fit now...you are very healthy, you’ve collected data of all the places that need to be clean, because you know that dengue is out there and now there is no excuse for any corporation not doing their part,” Baptiste-Cornelis said.
“You have to go out, identify areas that need to be cleaned. Organise for them to be cleaned, organise for the fogging, organise for the spraying. You have to go out there and do the work and ensure dengue does not take over this country,” she said.
“It’s no longer only the Ministry of Health, it’s every single one of you and if anybody dies in any single district, it’s also your fault. How you feel about that?” she asked. The councillors remained silent.
“You have work to do because if we can clean up this environment that falls under local government, we can do a lot. A mosquito may be biting you right now. Do you know that that particular mosquito which carries dengue, bites mainly in the day, six am to six pm?” she asked.
“Most of us try to hide at nights. It’s in the day, all the little potholes that are collecting, all the beautiful fountains look so nice...the larvae is there. We are going to be helping you, we are going to give you the equipment,” she added.
“Talk to the Minister, get your equipment, recruit your staff. I hired 60 new staff for the insect vector, so no longer would you be calling me or the ministry to go and spray different places.
Organise your corporations to go and spray,” she told the councillors.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Baptiste-Cornelis said she did not bouff councillors but rather told them “of the expectations” regarding delivery of service to burgessess especially when it comes to dealing with dengue, which is being blamed for at least two deaths in this country and which has sickened hundreds.
“Local government corporations all have, are supposed to have machinery and personnel to go out and do the spraying. The Ministry of Health supplements that and also supplies chemicals. But they (corporations) have a lot of involvement and what we have happening in the past is that you get reports, we send chemicals to some corporations, they weren’t using their vehicles due to a lack of gas,” she said.
“When we ask them to clean, they weren’t cleaning because who knows why. So hopefully now with the People’s Partnership having that handle and being represented in every corporation, we can get the full support of councillors,” she said.
And in his address to the councillors, Local Government Minister Chandresh Sharma told the 131 councillors who attended the meeting that a note would be presented to Cabinet for the provision of offices to be used by councillors in each electoral districts.
“I am going to take a note to Cabinet soon to ensure all councillors obtain assistance to ensure all local govt practitioner are provided with an office in their electoral district,” Sharma said, adding, “we have heard the cries of people, some say they don’t see their councillors, and we will assist in the cost of vehicles to visit everyone so make sure you have wheels and you in a few days, telephones paid for by the state,” he said.
Sharma also warned newly elected councillors against engaging in corruption and pointed out that a lot of money had been wasted by the previous administration. “Your responsibility is not to attend to friends and family only. But to make sure in your community, in your electoral district you treat with every home in the way it ought to be treated, which is very important. Do not choose to build a box drain between two friends’ homes...that’s not how we are going to conduct business,” Sharma said.
