Basseterre, St. Kitts, February 7, 2018 – With reports of more employees testing positive for mold in their bodies and a call by Dr. Terrance Drew for employees and the public to take their health seriously and not enter the building, the government announced Wednesday, the closure of the Department of Labour.
Credible information is that several more employees recently tested positive for mold in their bodies.
Over the past several weeks, the St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party caretaker for St. Christopher 8, Dr. Terrance Drew accused Minister of Labour Hon. Vance Amory and his Acting Permanent Secretary, Ron Collins, of “committing serious atrocities with the health of the people of St. Kitts and Nevis.”
Parliamentary Representative for West Basseterre, Hon. Konris Maynard said at least three employees have been tested and the results indicate their bodies high levels of mold.
Dr. Drew, an internist, also slammed Mr. Amory for accusing Labour Department staff members of going on sick leave and also lying to embarrass the government.
“Hon. Vance Amory is not qualified to make statements like these. He is trying to pull the names of the doctors through the mud when he has no background information to comment on.
The building that houses the Department of Labour was deemed to have high levels of carbon dioxide and suspected mold,” said Dr. Drew on Wednesday’s edition of Issues on freedom 106.5 FM.
Dr. Drew said the Bureau of Standards had confirmed that the carbon dioxide level in the Department of Labour is very high.
Dr. Drew pointed out that while the adjoining National Drug Council has sent their staff members home, Mr. Amory and Mr. Collins “have defied all protocol and standard procedures in protecting the health of the Labour Department staff and playing petty politics.”
“You should not be forced to work in an unfit environment. I do not care which political divide you are on. Please protect yourself for your sake and that of your families,” pleaded Dr. Drew.
He also advised members of the public to stay away from the building that houses the Department of Labour.
MP Maynard disclosed that four employees of the Department of Labour tested positively for mold.
“Two were found to have 11 percent mold in their bodies. Another one was found to have 19 percent mold and another with over 30 percent mold,” said Maynard, pointing out that the acceptable limit is “two percent.”
“These persons have been tested, yet the minister and his permanent secretary have the gall to state that the medical doctors are abusing their positions or that the workers are liars,’ said Maynard.
The Department of Labour said its offices will reopen on Monday 12th at 8 am.
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