The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

THE Ministry of Health has lost more than $150,000 worth of productivity because of “serious challenges” with a badly leaking roof and a faulty air-conditioner at its Meeting Street headquarters, Health Minister Dr Duane Sands confirmed yesterday.

Dr Sands, in an interview with The Tribune, said the Bahamian people are “not getting ideal productivity” from his ministry, as, he said, for weeks senior officials at the Ministry of Health have had to implement half-day shifts for line staff “because the working conditions are significantly less than optimal” at the Poinciana Hill complex.

So bad is the building’s physical infrastructure, Dr Sands said, that if one were to stand in a particular room “you can look and see the sky through the plywood in the roof.” Dr Sands also said that the roof “leaks tremendously” during heavy rain.

This, he said, is despite “hundreds of thousands of dollars” being spent over the past few years on repairing the roof, which, he said, was “not done properly” in any event.

Dr Sands also said that his ministry has looked at “all of the options,” including relocation; however, the “ideal” remedy would be to “accomplish a definitive repair.”

The statements by the Elizabeth MP reflect those made by Bahamas Public Service Union President John Pinder last year, who, at the time, complained of the terrible mould infestation and deterioration at the Department of Public Service, which shares the same building.

In February 2016, Mr Pinder blamed the poor working conditions on the National Insurance Board (NIB), which owns the building, charging that the mould infestation was caused by “shabby work” by NIB’s private contractors. The mould infestation, Mr Pinder said at the time, had been lingering for over two years, despite an assessment from the Ministry of Environment advising that the matter should be dealt with promptly.

Yesterday, Dr Sands confirmed that the Ministry of Health was still plagued with the same challenges, which he said has created “hardships” in his ministry.

Dr Sands said officials conducted an exercise in which they sent civil servants home for four hours a day, five days a week.

He said the end result was that “thus far, the lost productivity to the people of the Bahamas has been in excess of $150,000.”

“That doesn’t include the public service side,” he said. “That doesn’t take into account what happens when certain important matters are delayed and so on and so forth. But you cannot insist that human beings (be) subjected to these things, these kinds of conditions indefinitely. And so we have sought to move as quickly as possible to get the matter resolved.”

He added: “Bear in mind this building is owned by NIB. We happen to be tenants in this building. And as such the maintenance contracts for these things are not under the control of my ministry, they are under the control of the National Insurance Board. And we have been challenged to get action in a timely fashion.

“So yes, the Bahamian people are not getting ideal productivity from this ministry, because for weeks now we’ve had to have staff go home for half day because the working conditions are significantly less than optimal. Many people have soldiered on despite and I must express my personal gratitude to them for their commitment.

“But the infrastructure of this particular building is less than ideal. Now there are certain staff members who have continued to work despite, you know they bear the heat, they bear the aggravation and inconvenience. But it is difficult to demand that the line staff subject themselves to that type of hardship.”

When asked by The Tribune if plans are underway to remediate the subpar state of affairs at his ministry, Dr Sands said a “high level person” from NIB toured the facility last week “with a view to personally inspect the challenges,” and that it would be at least another week before the air conditioner is repaired.

“We have been advised that there will be some major work being done to the chiller,” he added. “The prime minister has made it very clear that this matter will be addressed and I’m sure it is in significant part due to his intervention that we are making some headway on this matter.

“…So all of these things will be resolved. I think you have to appreciate the challenge of subjecting persons to this type of environment. But going through the appropriate persons with responsibility, they now have a commitment to get it resolved.”