‘Satisfactory’ leaves Medical Officer unsatisfied

THE City Medical Officer’s Department of the Port-of-Spain Corporation was chided by the Public Health Committee (PHC) of the Council for using the word “satisfactory” in his report on the environmental work done by the Inspectorate. The medical officer was asked to provide the committee with a detailed breakdown of the number and type of premises that were guilty of violations.  In response to the testing of food and water samples, the doctor used the word “satisfactory,” but members of the Committee were not satisfied that this was the right word to be used. It was felt that the word “satisfactory” did not convey an assurance that the samples had passed the test.

The public health inspector responsible for carrying out the tests stated that the term actually used by the Public Health Laboratory was “safe for human consumption,” but that the department had re-phrased it to read, “satisfactory.” The Public Health Committee advised that in future, the term “safe for human consumption” be used instead of  “satisfactory.” In other developments, the PHC has recommended that the public convenience at Lord Harris Square be demolished. For years, this facility has been out of order and makes for a health hazard.