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Teachers and Students forced to wear masks

The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) has made a number of recommendations to help to address a number of health issues and concerns at the Largest Educational Institution on St.Kitts-Nevis the Basseterre High School.

In a 52 page Report the CARPHA team which comprised of Dr. Babatunde Olowokure and Lesmond Magloire made a number of key findings and offered a series of recommendations to mitigate potential health risks. Among them, they observe that representations regarding the need to repair and maintain the schools which appear to have been made since 2009 have recurred in all the reports examined. They also note the need for improved documentation of students and teachers health symptoms, including when and where symptoms occurred, duration and action taken. The results of the water quality analysis show that a high number of total coliforms were identified in the samples taken from the Chemistry and Biology laboratories. They indicated that the water there should not be used for drinking purposes. The sample taken from the Form 5 Girls Washroom however, met the requirements for use for potable purposes.

Similar to the findings of CARIRI in April, CARPHA indicated that mould is still present on the campus. They note that results of the mould identification and temperature and humidity measurements show an ideal environment for mould growth, and say that the presence of large amounts of Stachybothyrs chart arum in the Theatre Arts office is of particular concern and can result in health problems. They observe that the health issues appear to be largely confined to the school. The indoor air quality at the school was shown to be generally poor with an abundance of fungal spores identified. Poor air quality in school could make children sick because of dust, mold, allergens found in the air. Indoor Air Quality Testing could be done to recognize the problem and eliminate any disease-causing fungi or mold spores.

In the light of the event, the scientists made a number of recommendations including

An environmental management programme to be developed and implemented, including:

– A regular schedule for maintenance of school environment

– Minimizing of indoor moisture sources, and keeping all classrooms, labs and workshops clean and dry – A Pest control strategy

– A Liquid waste management programme, including the replacement of the present drainage system in the chemistry lab, and soil testing to determine sites of seepage of sewage

– They recommend further investigations to ascertain the source of the coliform bacteria contamination of water in the biology and chemistry labs, and urgent remedial action to address the ‘massive’ amounts of Stachybothyrs chartarum present in the Theatre Arts Office.

CARPHA advises that protection should be made available for the remediation workers, and gives specific instructions on how surfaces should be cleaned, dried and painted. In regards to Health, CARPHA recommends that that when school is reopened, an experienced full-time school nurse should be employed to actively monitor the health situation in the school continuously for at least one year. It further recommends systematic documentation of the health complaints of staff, students and visitors, with regular reviews. It says items that are found to have been wet, damp, badly damaged or mouldy, should be disposed of appropriately. In regards to communications CARPHA suggests among other things, that the Ministries of Health and Education develop a communications strategy and be proactive in their communication with school, parents, media and other key stakeholders.

. Deplorable Conditions at the islands Largest High School