There is great concern about a pile-up of medical waste at the Spanish Town Hospital in St. Catherine and other public health facilities. 

The issue was raised by Sydney Rose, Chairman of the St. Catherine Public Health and Sanitation Committee, who told Radio Jamaica News that a foul odor emanated from the area used to store the medical waste.

He said the issue of uncollected medical waste is also affecting other hospitals. 

“I’ve checked other hospitals, and I was told that it is a similar problem they’re experiencing with uncollected medical waste. And I can tell you, persons next door to where we are doing this interview are complaining about the stench, and it’s unbearable. It’s unsightly,” he said, adding that he believes the situation could cause “a breakout of some form of diseases.”

Sydney Rose, Chairman of the St. Catherine Public Health and Sanitation Committee

Mr. Rose said Health Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton should urgently try to address the situation.

“It is a little national disgrace and should not have [been] allowed to happen,” he declared.

Sydney Rose

Errol Greene, Regional Director of the South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA), has confirmed a backlog in collecting medical waste.

He said the facility dealing with medical waste processing has been out of service.

Further, Mr. Greene said SERHA is taking steps to clear the backlog and get the processing facility back into service.

“The situation in our facilities should see improvement today, Thursday, May 25, 2023, as we have arranged for the waste to be moved as early as Thursday evening into tomorrow (Friday, May 26, 2023). So all the facilities should be clear of all the pile-up of medical waste no later than Saturday, May 27, 2023,” he said.

Errol Green, Regional Director of SERHA

Convicted former NCB manager ordered to forfeit over $119 million.

The Supreme Court has ordered a convicted former senior manager at the National Commercial Bank (NCB), Andrea Gordon, to forfeit over $119.1 million from her ill-gotten assets.

The forfeiture order was handed down in the Supreme Court on Wednesday, May 24, 2023, in a case brought against her by the Financial Investigations Division (FID) and NCB.

The presiding Justice granted the order concerning a Havendale, St Andrew property owned by Gordon.

The Court also ordered the convict to a penalty of $720,000 concerning proceeds from a motor vehicle she owned during the period she committed the 

The order relates to the proceeds from a motor vehicle she owned during the period she committed the fraud – January 2017 to May 2020.

In addition, the Court ordered Gordon to pay the legal fees for the FID and NCB.

Gordon is serving seven years and nine months in prison for fleecing the bank of $34 million.