ST. GEORGE’S, GRENADA: 12th October, 2011: Member of Parliament for the constituency of St Marks Dr Claris Modeste-Curwen calls on Government to inform the Nation on the spread of chicken pox at Her Majesty’s Prisons and to speedily deal with the situation.
Dr. Modeste a medical doctor by profession said that she is alarmed that the Government had not seen it fit to acquire the necessary medication to deal with the health of the nation. She made this call after the start of the October Assizes had to be put back by one week when it was disclosed that about 10% of the inmates at the prison have been affected with Chicken Pox. She went on to say, “in June of this year when the issue was first disclosed by members of the Bar Association; the Government tried to gloss over it while it was obviously spreading among the inmates.”
Four months later Dr Modeste lamented, with such a serious outbreak nothing has been said by the Minister, Government or their supporters who were so vocal in their attack on the New National Party’s administration for a false claim of tubercolosis outbreak at the prisons. Her Majesty’s loyal opposition will like to know if any affected inmates were discharged from the Prison recently; Has the medication that the Ministry of Health said was on order to deal with the out break in June arrived? What protective measures have been employed to ensure that the disease is contained?
The former Minister of Health complained that in a time when the Government refused to procure basic medication claiming that it does not have the resources, it could still find hundreds of thousands of dollars to fly large delegations overseas to non-essential meetings. “If only the Government would prioritize its spending and value the health and well being of the people of the nation, we will not be in this situation today where both inmates and the general population are at risk.” Dr Modeste added.
