Senior Reporter
shaliza.hassanali@guardian.co.tt
There are only 33 public health workers to inspect hundreds of food establishments across the capital city. The revelation came on the heels of three restaurants in Port-of Spain being closed last month by public health workers and more than a decade after a Joint Select Committee (JSC) report recommended that the City Corporation recruit more health inspectors on a contractual basis to ensure growing food establishments and bars in the city comply with health regulations.
In 2013 former Port-of-Spain mayor Louis Lee Sing was advised that the corporation’s cadre of public health officers be increased from 35 to 135 to adequately monitor and inspect the proliferation of food places within the corporation’s 12 electoral districts–spanning St James East and West, Woodbrook, Belmont East, west, south and north, East Dry River and St Ann’s River South, central and north.
The recommendation was contained in a report that same year by the JSC chaired by former independent senator Subhas Ramkhelawan, which examined the administration and operation of the corporation. Lee Sing, the mayor in 2013 when the JSC made the recommendation, was replaced shortly after in 2014.
The committee in the 83-page report recommended that “the corporation make the expansion of this cadre of employees a priority in its recruitment efforts. The corporation should explore with the minister responsible for Public Administration and other relevant authorities options that may be available to recruiting additional health inspectors on a contractual basis”.
The report cited the limited number of health inspectors on duty to ensure all food establishments are continuously monitored for compliance, stating that “the repercussions of staff shortages in this area can be fatal”.
Fast-tracked to 2023, the corporation has not heeded the advice.
The Sunday Guardian was told that the corporation’s Public Health Department’s workforce has not increased but reduced from 35 to 33. With only 33 health inspectors to service the Port-of-Spain area, there is a shortfall of 102 workers to meet the full complement. The situation has been creating difficulties for the operations.
“Certainly 33 officers cannot suffice in servicing and ensuring adequate and effective compliance on the city of Port-of-Spain in terms of public health, given the growing number of food establishments, bars and pubs,” Lee Sing said during an interview recently.
Port-of-Spain, primarily a retail and administrative centre, is estimated to have a population of 37,000 residents.
Lee Sing said Port-of-Spain–mainly Ariapita Avenue, St James, Woodbrook, Cipriani Boulevard and the Queen’s Park Savannah–has been transformed into bustling food hubs, and food safety was imperative.
He also cited the proliferation of food courts in Town Centre Mall, Nicholas Towers, Capital Plaza, Uptown Mall, the Parkade and Excellent City Centre which are frequented by hundreds of people daily.
Thousands of people would also converge on the outskirts of Port-of-Spain during the weekends to consume food and beverages as a form of relaxation and leisure.
Restaurants closed down
On October 27, three restaurants in POS were closed after they were inspected and found to be in breach of public health standards.
A TTPS release stated the locations of the restaurants were Broadway, Charlotte Street and Independence Square. The police gave no reason for the closures.
The Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government under whose purview the 14 corporations fall listed the job of a public health officer as inspecting food premises, buildings, streets and drains to evaluate sanitary conditions within public health laws and bye-laws.
Lee Sing said some of these food establishments have not been adhering to food safety, hygiene and sanitation.
“I cannot see 33 people truly inspecting the city on a monthly basis. I simply feel we have to do better than what we are doing. Too many food establishments are not conforming to the public health standards.”
These workers, Lee Sing said, were established in sync with an old order.
“The new order encompasses so many more establishments for starters.”
Many food establishments, he said, cook with expired ingredients, store food improperly, or fail to practice health protocols.
On almost every street in the city, he said, there are food places and bars some of which lack cleanliness and do not conform to health requirements.
Many operate without toilet facilities or their washrooms are never kept tidy.
“They cook without running water. Inspections should be a constant routine. We need to have constant vigilance as to what is happening on our streets when people are buying and eating. We are in a bad way. I am not convinced that the level of scrutiny and compliance is now enforced.”
With Carnival 2024 around the corner, Lee Sing said the officers would be insufficient to inspect mobile food carts, caterers, vendors and food establishments selling on streets, in fetes and events.
‘We always had a situation with rats and roaches’
On Monday and Wednesday, this reporter visited several food courts downtown during the lunch period and was surprised to see some food handlers were not wearing hair nets or gloves.
One handler was even seen openly picking her teeth.
Despite these infractions, there were long lines of customers purchasing meals.
An examination of the JSC report revealed the corporation had been incurring a high overtime bill as a consequence of sanitation and health officers working beyond their established hours by inspecting the kitchens of food establishments at night.
“These officers are required to work extended overtime as a result of the unregulated expansion in the hospitality business and events held in the city,” the report stated.
For fiscal 2011/2012, the corporation racked up a $1.4 million overtime bill.
The committee recommended that the corporation expedite the process for the implementation of a shift system for the health and sanitation workers.
The report also mentioned a rodent infestation primarily due to the large number of restaurants and illegal food vending on the city’s pavements, stating that tighter control needed to be put in place.
There were also reports of people manipulating the system, ignoring procedures and food establishments multiplying without public health approval.
Joel Martinez, who served as Port-of-Spain mayor up to last August, told the Sunday Guardian that to his recollection there were “30 public health officers,” under him.
“If I had to think about it, yes, the inspector force at public health ... I don’t think it would have been adequate because the growth and development of Port-of-Spain would have required many more inspectors because of the number of small businesses and then the vending population for food in the city was ignored ... because there was no formal process to deal with vending.”
Martinez admitted that there was a proliferation of vendors who sold food without badges while some food businesses operated without being validated to ensure “the quality of food served met the required health standards. Fortunately, we never had too many reports of food poisoning. But we always had a situation with rats and roaches”.
Under his tenure, Martinez said the corporation had to close the doors of restaurants and food outlets due to rodent infestation, lack of cleanliness and the way they stored food.
“A couple of food businesses were not allowed to open for failing to establish the right protocols because they did not have sufficient toilets, proper ventilation or needed Town and Country Planning Division approval. A lot of that took place.”
He said during the COVID-19 pandemic, the inspectors took a greater interest in ensuring compliance.
A source at the corporation said there are currently 33 officers in the corporation’s Public Health Department.
“That has always been the figure for years. The number of positions for health inspectors has not been increased. One of the issues we would have is also in relation to the hours the city operates. That would be one of the challenges we have.”
Asked what would be the required strength of the department, the source said, that would require an assessment.
“It is something we are looking at, and it would be looked at under the Local Government Reform.”
The source could not quantify how many food establishments currently operate in the city.
“The corporation is compiling that data now.”
Questioned if businesses are allowed to operate without inspection, the source opted not to speak further.
Contacted on Wednesday, the corporation’s Public Health Inspector Mitra Sooklal said he needed permission from his CEO to speak.
The Sunday Guardian also WhatsApped a list of questions to Port-of-Spain Mayor Chinua Alleyne on November 2 but he failed to respond. A follow-up message was sent to Alleyne on Tuesday but there was still no reply.
Shortage in Chaguanas, Siparia, Penal
Chagunanas and Siparia Mayors Faaiq Mohammed and Doodnath Mayrhoo admitted they were short of public health workers.
Mohammed said his borough has three public health officers while the positions of public health inspector III and Principal Medical Health Officer (PMHO) continue to remain vacant.
The PMHO is retained on a contractual basis by the Ministry of Rural Development and Local Government and his/her responsibility is to direct public health inspectors and participate in the inspection of buildings and building sites regarding sanitation and abatement of health nuisances.
The PMHO reports directly to the corporation’s CEO.
Mayrhoo said each corporation has a cadre of workers they cannot exceed.
“With the expansion and growth of the borough, the work is increasing on a daily basis. You need more work done and you have less manpower. Yes, we have a manpower shortage in all areas.”
Dr Allen Sammy who served as chairman of the Penal/Debe Regional Corporation said when he demitted office three months ago, the corporation had three officers to inspect its ten electoral districts and a PMHO.
“Three was insufficient as there are always health breaches.”
Sammy said all corporations were operating with skeletal staff.
“People are working under severe stress.”
Inspectors failed to attend Grande Corp meetings
Former Sangre Grande Corporation (SGRC) chairman Terry Rondon said the corporation had adequate staff to deal with unhealthy conditions within the corporation such as rat and cockroach infestations.
He said the Ministry of Health inspectors worked in tandem with the corporation to inspect food places and bars for any health infractions.
“One problem we faced was that these health inspectors often failed to attend the corporation’s heads of agency meetings where we would state which restaurant, factory, supermarket or business needed to be inspected based on complaints received. But these businesses continued to operate as normal. They were not checking these eating places so I stopped eating food in Grande. At one point in time, there were a lot of rats.”
Rondon pointed out the inspectors have the power to charge and shut down an establishment for not adhering to health standards.
“I wrote letters to the St Andrew/St David County Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) expressing my displeasure about the inspectors not doing their jobs.”
Current SGRC chairman Kenwyn Phillip said they have a PMHO and two public health officers who work in the eight electoral districts which were far inadequate.
“I believe the required strength should be two officers for each district,” Phillip said.
Problems in CTTRC, Arima
Henry Awong, former chairman of the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation said they have three public health officers who operate with limited powers.
“We used to work closely with the Ministry of Health’s CMOH and their health inspectors.”
Although the corporation operated with a PMHO, Awong said the position of health inspector was never filled.
Cagney Cassimire, former Arima mayor said while the borough operated with a PMHO, nurse and chief inspector, he wanted to expand its four public health officers because of growing businesses.
But he never got around to it, given the corporation’s financial constraints.
“Health and infrastructure absorbed a large portion of the corporation’s budget.”
Many businesses, he said, had to close their doors for not complying with health regulations, while some restaurants were given a stipulated time to improve their unsanitary conditions.
Citing some breaches, Cassimire said there were foul smells, expired meats, rodent invasions and poor water storage.
“We know we had a rodent problem but that was in terms of putting people on the ground to cover the area.”
Rural Development and Local Government Minister Faris Al-Rawi said local government reform will allow for the hiring of additional public health officers. This is apart from the Public Services Association and the Statutory Authorities Service Commission hirings.
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