THA man: Kitchen closure was ‘planned’

Speaking at yesterday afternoon’s regular post-Executive Council meeting press briefing, Spencer claimed since January, plans were in train for the closure of the kitchen and the actual decision was taken on March 31.

Spencer, responding to a Newsday query, confirmed that the County Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) Dr Mentor Melville did visit and inspect the kitchen and later issued a warning notice to Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA), Myrna Riley-DesVignes on April 4.

He also asserted that Dr Melville was not lying. Spencer claimed that the visit by public health officials was in connection with complaints that a sandwich served to a patient was contaminated with rat faeces. He said it was however found that this did not originate from the kitchen. Questioned further, he declined to identify the source of the contamination, saying he did not wish to say anything beyond that point. “Don’t press me!” he declared.

Spencer explained that sometime in January, the dietician advised the TRHA that certain changes must be effected at the hospital kitchen. It was agreed that the kitchen had to be closed to facilitate this, he said.

“This was a planned closure to effect refurbishments and bring the kitchen up to OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Act) standards,” he asserted. However, when contacted, Dr Melville pointed out that he led a team of public health officials on a visit/inspection of the facilities at the kitchen following the report of the contaminated sandwich.

He said tests carried out at the Public Health Laboratory in Trinidad showed the presence of bacteria in the sandwich. Because of this and the “unsanitary” conditions found at the kitchen, Dr Melville told Newsday he had no alternative but to issue a statutory warning notice to the TRHA CEO in keeping with public health regulations.

Dr Melville maintained these were the circumstances under which the kitchen was shut down.