St Kitts Ministry officials refuse to act on Bureau of Standards recommendations made since March

Months after the St Kitts and Nevis Bureau of Standards made recommendations to deal with the unhealthy situation at the General Post Office, the Team Unity Government has failed to act, according to Kyss 102.5 FM on Friday.

The report has surfaced as more employees are on sick leave and the minister responsible is the Hon Ian Patches Liburd who is pursuing the construction of the new Basseterre High School on the Basseterre Valley Aquifer.

“It is recommended that the Post Office area physical structure undergo some changes,” the Laboratory Report from the SKNBS sent to the minister and dated March 25.

“It is also recommended that steps be taken to remove any moss/ mold like materials from the walls and ceiling,” said the report, a copy of which was obtained by Kyss FM.

“All areas had some level of mold but the parcel post room is the only area that had elevated levels,” the report specified.

Close to a dozen employees at the General Post Office in St Kitts are now on sick leave months after the St. Kitts and Nevis Bureau of Standards (SKNBS) recommended some sweeping changes.

The Parcel Post Section of the General Post Office on the Bay Road should have been relocated since early May, but according to several sources, ministry officials have failed to follow through on that promise.

Several government run institutions have been dogged with issues of mold and other health issues.

Teachers at the Cayon High School signed a petition to force the government to take swift action in relation to the unhealthy situation at the educational institution.

The existence of mold and other health concerns at the Cayon High School had been known by government officials since March of this year when positive results of tests became known after several teachers began experiencing illnesses but no action was taken by the appropriate authorities.

The National Housing Corporation (NHC) was fumigated, the Verchild's High School was infected, the Department of Sport was forced to vacate to the media centre and VIP boxes at the Warner Park Cricket Stadium. The Ministry of Education also moved its administrative offices to The Cable Building on Cayon Street. The Administration Building at the main Burdon Campus of the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC) was closed, reopened and closed again and mold was also found in the President’s Office forcing the occupant of the office to relocate to a container in the yard of the main campus.

The technical and vocational division has also experienced mold problems.

A section of Police Headquarters was closed due to the presence of mold as did a section of the Basseterre Police Station due to an infestation of bed bugs.

The Sandy Point Primary School was recently fumigated as a result of an infestation of cockroaches and rats and the two science labs and the home economic center at the Saddlers Secondary School were cordoned off due to health concerns.