The Public Health Department

During the twelve months of 1997, the Public Health Department operated with a reasonable degree of success, despite financial and personnel constraints.

It is appreciated that deficiencies in some cases are long termed in nature and sustained and persistent application of policies and expenditure will eventually result in achievement of desirable results.

During the year, the Department provided service to the public in the following areas:

THE CLINIC: attending to employees and members of the public.

HEALTH EDUCATION UNIT: conducting the School Health programme; food, health and safety lecture sessions; AIDS education; participation in the development of proposals for the formation of a National Health Promotion Council.

PUBLIC HEALTH INSPECTORATE: conducting house-to-house environmental health exercises; responding to complaints; building plan approvals; water applications; water sampling; limited training of the Inspectorate in new methods and systems development in the environment and public health.

ABATTOIR: Recently refurbished.

HEALTH VISITORS: checking and maintaining the immunization status of the children within the City limits; visiting schools and carrying out medical examinations on the infant population; collection of data with reference to infectious diseases and other special projects; school lecture when requested by schools; weekly immunization sessions; mumps, measles and rubella campaigns with the national community; monitoring the immunization status of works in the Corporation’s Transport and Cleansing Department at Terre Brulee.

In general, it may be said that the health of residents in Port of Spain is relatively good. However, the improvement in living conditions can be achieved only through the pursuit of a policy to advance environmental conditions.