SWRHA workers running from rats

An infestation of rats, coupled with leaking air-conditioning units and an inconsistent water supply, forced Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) attached to the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) to abandon their dispatch headquarters at South Trunk Road, La Romaine, yesterday. The EMTs, who work 12-hour shifts, were reportedly told to vacate the building and “temporarily” relocate at a nearby wasp-infested dispatch garage. When Newsday visited the dispatch centre yesterday, workers had already taken up residence in the garage and moved several pieces of furniture into it, including beds and chairs.

The employees, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said living conditions were made worse during inclement weather. They also pointed out that  some of the new ambulances delivered to the San Fernando base were now non-functional due to a mechanical failure. Workers identified the rat infestation as their biggest source of concern, saying that rat droppings could be found on top of the kitchen sink, microwave oven and on the floor, including the room which is used to store medical equipment.

“Just imagine you cannot bring food and leave it in any part of the kitchen or building because of the rats,” one EMT said, while another speculated that rats were probably living in the roof of the building. The employees also lamented the lack of proper toilet facilities in the building. Another employee said workers also had to contend with a large build-up of dust in the building as the SWRHA had failed to provide janitorial services for the building.

“We don’t have a vacuum cleaner so we have to sweep the carpet with a broom and because we share the compound with a service garage, you have a lot of dust coming into the building whenever the trucks pass in front of the door,” she said. She said the carpet was also soaked from time to time because of condensation from malfunctioning air-conditioning units. Despite their problems, the EMTs reiterated their commitment to delivering quality health care service to southern residents. Efforts to contact officials at the SWRHA for comment yesterday proved futile.