By Shermain Bique-Charles
In a country like Antigua and Barbuda where water is a scarce commodity, for some people it’s a nightmare.
Whenever there is a downpour — regardless of how minimal — workers at various health clinics on the island would report they had to engage in major mop-up activities before the start of their day.
On Wednesday, pieces of cardboard were used at the Grays Farm Clinic to soak up water from the previous night’s rainfall. The water comes from a prolonged leaking roof, a situation that health care workers there have been dealing with for years.
When our newsroom arrived at the Gray’s Farm Clinic, several elderly people had to be assisted to and from their nurse’s cubicle to ensure their safety.
Meanwhile, the flooding situation was a bit more severe at the clinic in Johnson’s Point, where services were delayed for several hours because of flooding.
The health care professionals at the Old Road Clinic, on the other hand, are facing a more serious issue. Mold has taken over the clinic.
“It is posing serious health threats to the people who work there and even those who come for care,” one worker told our newsroom.
The President of the Antigua and Barbuda Nurses Association, Soria Dupie-Winston has had several meetings with the Minister of Health Molwyn Joseph to inform him of the problems.
She said, however, that this year is “action time”, as the association will not sit idly by and allow nurses to continue their jobs under those unacceptable conditions.