The St. Elizabeth Parish Council has continued to offer its support to the St. Elizabeth Health Department. On Wednesday September 24, the council presented a cheque valued Five Hundred Thousand Dollars to the department to help reduce the spread of chikungunya virus in the parish.
Chairman of the St. Elizabeth Parish council and Mayor of Black River Everton Fisher handed over the cheque to the chief Medical Officer at the health department Dr. Tonia Dawkins at a handing over ceremony at Jack Sprat Treasure Beach St. Elizabeth.
“The council does not believe in reacting to an epidemic but to be proactive”, Mayor Fisher said. He added that over the years the council has collaborated with the St. Elizabeth Health Department on a number of initiatives.
He noted that the council has tried its best at all times to give support to the health department and said central government does not have the money. He said it is in this regard that the council is pleased to make this donation.
“The actual budget to do fogging and other eradication between now and December is about $1.2 m and the council is committed to this amount and this presentation is just the first installment”, the Mayor said.
However, the Mayor is calling up on the citizens of the parish to take the necessary precautionary measures to deal with the Chikungunya virus. He also used the occasion to assure residents that the council is also doing all it can to have drains in all 15 divisions across the parish clean.
