SOME SUB-SAHARAN countries are affected by plagues of locusts; in Jamaica we seem periodically to be confronted with plagues of rats. First there was New Kingston, then Lucea and now Montego Bay. In the balance of nature, rats play an important role in medical research, especially cancer research, since in many ways they have similar reactions to disease as humans. But they can also be a cause of widespread disease in humans, many of them fatal.
And it is against this background that the public needs to be concerned about reports that rats are overrunning Montego Bay, the tourist capital of Jamaica.
The recent outbreaks of rat infestations in Jamaica are due to a number of factors, chief among them the careless disposal of garbage. Wherever there are insanitary conditions, rats are likely to be found.
Each citizen must be concerned about the preservation of his or her own health and that of his or her family members. We must all be responsible in how we dispose of garbage, and how old materials that harbour rodents are stored on premises. By extension, the people of Montego Bay should be particularly determined to see that this problem is addressed and remedied quickly as much for their own health and as well to reduce the potential negative impact on businesses in the resort.
The problem is so serious that it should not be left to cash-strapped local parish councils to deal with. It is time for central government to devise plans and set priorities for dealing with the problem which is not only a danger to public health but which is hardly likely to enhance the reputation of Montego Bay as a tourist resort. This outbreak has again highlighted the importance of having a functional, efficient Public Health Department. There is a sense that the important role played by public health inspectors has been steadily eroding over the past two decades. However, it is important that where they exist they be diligent about their duties. The nation's health depends on their doing this.
In the instant case, the St. James Parish Council needs to ensure that any garbage pile-up which may be providing a breeding ground for rodents be cleared immediately. Of course, quite apart from the all-important factor of the health of the people of that city not being further endangered, Montego Bay is one of the country's prime tourist resorts. The relevant authorities, in central and local government, should not allow it to fall victim to another plague of rats.
THE OPINIONS ON THIS PAGE, EXCEPT FOR THE ABOVE, DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE GLEANER.
