Scarborough Health Centre shut down

THE Scarborough Health Centre remained out of service Friday after operations were shut down on Wednesday due to the dilapidated condition of the facility. The situation arose when workers refused to report for work under the deplorable conditions. At present, Health care workers attached to the closed facility are reporting for duty at the health centre facility nearest their homes. On Wednesday patients who turned up for treatment at the Scarborough centre were transferred to the Canaan/Bon Accord Health Centre and Friday the Children’s Clinic was cancelled, County Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) Dr Mentor Melville reported.

Services at the Scarborough Centre are  to be relocated to one of four buildings currently being considered by the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA) while repair/renovation work is carried out on the dilapidated building, Cynthia Alfred, deputy Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) and Secretary of Health/Social Services, said on Thursday. However, Dr Melville told Sunday Newsday, “I don’t know anything about that.” (the four buildings being considered for relocation of the Health Centre.) The crisis developed on March 23 when the second floor of the three-storey building housing the  Centre was flooded out. Both workers and patients were forced to walk through the water as they could not access the fire escapes - which are also in a very dilapidated state. Newsday understands that in 2002 a Fire Services’ report had deemed the two fire escapes “unsafe”.

The workers requested a meeting with the CMOH and at that meeting, held last Monday (March 29) they registered serious complaints about the overall physical conditions of the facility.  Meantime, the workers also called in the representative of the  Public Services Association. PSA Tobago Officer Joanne Bourne-Sheppard said the workers sought advice on industrial relations regulations with respect to health and safety. She explained that under the IRA (Industrial Relations Act) workers were not compelled to work in conditions where their health and safety were being compromised and under threat. “And they took the decision not to report for work there,” said Bourne-Sheppard. Consequently, a meeting was convened on Wednesday involving the THA Health Secretary, the CMOH, the TRHA, PSA, and Fire Services personnel. “It was generally agreed that the building was in need of urgent repair and not really fit for occupation,” Dr Melville reported. The Fire Services ordered that the fire-escapes be replaced; and a committee was set up to identify a building for relocation of the Health Centre.