Gov’t moving to rebuild, relocate infirmaries after hurricane

WESTERN BUREAU:

Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie has issued his strongest warning yet in the wake of Hurricane Melissa’s catastrophic impact, declaring that “nowhere in Jamaica is safe anymore” and announcing an emergency national overhaul of the island’s infirmary system to protect the country’s most vulnerable citizens.

Speaking during a clean-up session at the St Elizabeth infirmary on Thursday, McKenzie said Jamaica could easily have been mourning dozens of elderly and disabled residents had early evacuation orders not been given.

“If I didn’t give instructions three days before, I wouldn’t be standing here this morning; I would be in jail with numerous counts of murder,” McKenzie said. “What I saw in Falmouth, Trelawny, nothing could help the residents there.”

Trelawny currently has no functional infirmary, forcing residents to shelter at the William Knibb Memorial High School. McKenzie said the Government has now fast-tracked the procurement of four retrofitted container-style units to establish a temporary infirmary.

“We have started the process, and in another four weeks, I am hoping we will be able to put them down and make sure Christmas can catch the residents not at William Knibb, but in a home prepared for them,” he said.

McKenzie and his team will return to Trelawny on Saturday to survey the site, take measurements, and ensure that the facility can be installed safely.

He disclosed that at least five infirmaries islandwide were affected by the hurricane, including significant damage in Westmoreland, where he will lead an assessment next week.

In St Ann, although structural damage was limited, the facility’s location beside the sea in the Priory area of the parish has now been deemed unsafe.

“One of the lessons Hurricane Melissa has taught us is that nowhere in Jamaica is safe anymore, especially if you are close to the sea or a river,” McKenzie said.

“I am making arrangements to have the infirmary in St Ann relocated.”

In St Elizabeth, where the compound suffers chronic flooding, McKenzie said an extensive engineering redesign is now unavoidable.

“The section is extremely low,” he said of the Santa Cruz-based facility, noting that the ministry team, which included the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), St Elizabeth Municipal Corporation, and Social Development Commission, joined him in clearing downed trees and storm debris from the property.

According to McKenzie, Hurricane Melissa – like Beryl before it – has exposed the life-or-death dangers of leaving elderly infirmary residents in vulnerable coastal or low-lying areas.

He vowed never again to allow same-day emergency relocations to take place when a hurricane hits.

“What happened during Beryl last year cannot happen again. You cannot move residents the same day a hurricane is blowing,” said McKenzie.

He added that a nationwide review will prioritise elevated sites, permanent evacuation plans, and climate-resilient designs, noting that the elderly population is among the most at risk as climate disasters intensify.

“We must rebuild smarter,” McKenzie emphasised, adding that while recovery will take significant resources, the cost of inaction is far greater. “We are going to start the process urgently to find land, redesign spaces, and put proper systems in place. I am not going to make any mistakes when it comes to our infirmaries.”

With Hurricane Melissa reshaping the country’s disaster-risk landscape, the minister said Jamaica must confront a new and uncomfortable truth: the old assumptions of safe zones no longer apply.

“Nowhere in Jamaica is safe anymore,” he repeated. “And we must rebuild with that reality in mind.”

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com