Bostic addresses concerns of city residents over old MOH building

Minister of Health and Wellness Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bostic is assuring the residents of the City that their concerns regarding the old Ministry of Health building in Jemmotts Lane will be addressed.

In recent times, the building has been affected by several fires, sparking fears for those homeowners who live in close proximity that any other such incident will lead to a loss of property or life.

Bostic, the MP for that constituency told the media that he would be seeking a meeting with the Housing Minister to discuss what could be done with the old complex going forward.

“Until that meeting is held I won’t be able to say to you definitively what is going to happen, but I do acknowledge that there are concerns and creditable concerns and we have to address those concerns from the people who live in the surrounding areas in particular,” he said.

He was speaking to members of the press on the sidelines of the Caribbean Regional Training of Trainers Meeting for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Disasters at the PAHO/WHO office.

During that event, he highlighted that mass destruction placed severe strain on the mental health of affected populations and that the ability to bounce back from such disasters, was really dependent on the mental health of each individual who has been impacted.

“Resilience must be nurtured on the individual level as well as on a community and national level. Having the tools to quickly facilitate recovery from personal and economic loss; and to readjust to sometimes, a completely different way of life, is essential in recovery efforts. A regional approach to mental health and psychosocial support in disaster is essential. Such an approach acknowledges the need to maximise resources and also presents the opportunity to learn from the experiences of individual countries and incorporate strategies that have proven to be effective,” he added. (JMB)