The St. James Municipal Corporation has made good on its promise to supply the St. James Health Department with three fogging machines to assist with its vector control programme across the parish.
On Thursday, September 26, 2019, Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Homer Davis and Deputy Mayor Councillor Leeroy Williams were on hand to present Acting Parish Manager at the St. James Health Department, Lennox Wallace with the three machines and fulfilling a promise made to the department at the regular monthly meeting of the Corporation in July.
Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Homer Davis (right) and Deputy Mayor, Councillor Leeroy Williams test two of the three fogging machines before presenting them to the St. James Health Department to assist in its vector control activities. The machines are valued at $1.2 million.
At the Corporation’s meeting in July, Mr. Lennox Wallace who spoke then as the Chief Public Health Inspector for St. James pointed out the difficulty which Vector Control Officers were experiencing in curtailing the mosquito population, due to a lack of fogging machines.
It was at that time that a motion was moved by Councillor Williams and seconded by Councillor for the Spring Gardens Division, Dwight Crawford for the St. James Municipal Corporation to procure and supply the Health Department with the three fogging machines valued at $1.2 million.
In making the presentation, Mayor Davis expressed satisfaction that the St. James Municipal Corporation was able to assist the St. James Health Department to boost its vector control programme.
“This commitment comes against the background of the need expressed by Mr. Wallace at one of our meetings and as Mayor, I felt compelled to act. His donation will greatly boost the vector control programme in St. James as based on reports, there continues to be a mosquito problem in several areas. I am confident that with the addition of these machines, residents should see increased fogging activities and indeed a drastic reduction in the mosquito population”, Mayor Davis said.
He pointed out that the St. James Municipal Corporation sees the donation as part of its civic responsibility to rescue residents of the parish from the challenge posed by the large mosquito population as well as the threat of diseases which are carried by these insects.
Meanwhile, Acting Parish Manager at the St. James Health Department, Lennox Wallace was “over the moon” as he accepted the machines, stating that “the presentation of these machines further solidify the relationship between the St. James Municipal Corporation and the St. James Health Department. This is what true partnerships are made of and it shows that the Corporation’s leadership is credible and committed. I must thank in particular Mayor Davis for coming to our aid in this matter and I give the assurance to the citizens that our Vector Control Officers will be out in their numbers, fogging as many communities as possible on a continuous basis”.
Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Homer Davis (2nd right) presents one of three fogging machines to Acting Parish Manager at the St. James Health Department, Lennox Wallace as Deputy Mayor of Montego bay Councillor Leeroy Williams (3rd left) awaits his turn. Others sharing the occasion from left are Vector Control Supervisor, Britton Marrett, Vector Control Manager Simone Doctor, Acting Senior Public Health Inspector Nadia Burgess and at right Allison Green, a Vector Control Supervisor. The presentation of the three fogging machines took place at the St. James Health Department offices on Thursday September 26, 2019.
Mr. Wallace has given the commitment to care and protect the fogging machines because “these are very expensive and without them our work will be hampered. Our officers are well trained and are indeed responsible persons who will give due care to the storage and use of them”.