Trelawny Health Department Steps Up Monitoring Activities

The Trelawny Health Department has stepped up monitoring activities in order to maintain good health standards within the parish.
In a report tabled at the regular monthly meeting of the Trelawny Parish Council held last Thursday (Jan. 14), Deputy Chief Public Health Inspector for the parish, Delroy Mowatt, informed that during the month of December, 191 food and beverage establishments were checked. Included in the number were 122 meat shops, 11 restaurants and four hotels.
Of the total, 160 or 84 per cent were found to be in compliance with the health laws. “In fact, during the month, we had nine food establishments that were improved to a state of compliance,” he informed.
He pointed out further that approximately six food handlers clinics were held over the period, during which some 299 individuals were certified.
Slaughter houses were also inspected. “For the month, we inspected 997 carcasses weighing 27,524 kilogrammes, of which 304 kilogrammes of meat were condemned for various reasons,” he stated.
Meanwhile, some 10 vector control operations were carried out across the parish, with all identified mosquito breeding sites treated.
With a number of major infrastructural development projects scheduled to take place within the parish, Mr. Mowatt made an appeal for the Parish Council to ensure that the Health Department is involved in the approval process for all such projects.