Labour Ministry Assessing Housing Damage in Manchester

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) has investigated more than 4,000 reports of damage and destruction of homes in the parish of Manchester as a result of Hurricane Ivan.
Arthur Smith, MLSS Parish Manager for Manchester, has said that 47 assessment officers were in the field on a daily basis carrying out the evaluations. He told JIS News, that the Ministry had hoped to complete the assessments by September 29, but “our teams will not stop at this point but will in fact be continuing with the exercise until we have visited the 9,000 or so households that we need to verify.”
Mr. Smith said that persons who have submitted their names and have been registered with the Parish Council, Jamaica Red Cross or the MLSS office in Mandeville, “should have no fear, but to try as far as possible to be a little patient with us as they will be shortly be visited.”
Meanwhile, he informed that of the more than 70 shelters that were opened in the parish, only eight remained open with 60 persons being accommodated. The centres are at Maidstone, Banana Ground Health Centre, Precious Plains Health Centre, Sommerset Church, Plowden All-age School and three private homes.