THE EDITOR: Following several reports of dengue cases over the past few weeks, I as Member of Parliament for Tabaquite am calling on central government to take urgent action in light of this public health hazard plaguing my constituency in particular, and the country in general.
There is a high level of concern as the mosquito population has exploded, despite it being quite early in the rainy season. My office, as well as the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation (CTTRC) have received numerous requests for mosquito spraying and a number of constituents have reported dengue cases in their families and communities.
In fact, Tabaquite has been described as a hotspot with respect to dengue cases.
While the CTTRC’s Insect Vector Control Division has embarked on a mosquito spraying exercise, I maintain that the wider government response to this public health concern has been slow.
The CTTRC is responsible for a vast geographic area. With only one fog machine available to the Caroni District, support from central government is critical in the form of timely provision of equipment, manpower and data.
In the absence of prompt data confirming the highest concentration of dengue cases, the regional corporation is fighting an uphill battle as they attempt to maximise the limited resources available to them.
Therefore, I call on the Ministry of Health to assist with providing the relevant data and additional support where required at community health centres.
I am also calling on the Ministry of Works and Transport to respond to requests in earnest. Requests have been submitted to this ministry since the beginning of this year to clear overgrown bushes in Gran Couva, Tortuga and other communities.
Unfortunately, there are often unnecessary bureaucratic delays with this ministry insisting they are not responsible for certain roadways and drainage paths. The result is that many areas go without what should be routine maintenance and now we are seeing the repercussions of such negligence.
This dengue outbreak could have been mitigated by the timely execution of sensible proactive measures.
Yes, there is a lot that we can do as individuals and as a community. However, the government has the foremost responsibility to ensure the public good and they’ve dropped the ball, yet again.
They must activate their much touted all-of-government approach to prevent a dengue disaster in Tabaquite and throughout TT.
ANITA HAYNES ALLEYNE
MP, Tabaquite
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