St. Joseph’s Hospital: Garbage Pile-Up Raised Concerns. According to media reports, garbage has accumulated at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Kingston, Jamaica. The unsightly mess has raised concerns among both staff and patients, as well as the general public.
Black garbage bags, white bags, and cardboard boxes are infested with flies. They can be seen scattered along one of the hospital’s roadways. The road leads to several wards. The buildings are reportedly meters away from the mess.
According to reports, the hospital’s CEO, Dr. Christopher Munroe, has confirmed that the pile does not contain any medical waste. He explained that the accumulation consisted of ordinary waste. It had not been collected due to technical issues with the contracted garbage collector.
“The matter is being addressed. It is not St. Joseph’s Hospital’s fault that it has not yet been collected,” Munroe told media on Friday morning. “The contracted collectors are experiencing technical issues. We have procured everything on our end and given them the green light to pick up the waste. This is not our responsibility.”
Munroe did not reveal the name of the private contractor. He also declined to specify how long the garbage had not been collected.
Concerning potential health risks, Monroe stated that the garbage does not pose any health risks.
Still, he did not offer a timeline for when the garbage would be collected at St. Joseph Hospital.
Meanwhile, Audley Gordon is the executive director of the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA). He explained that private contractors typically manage garbage collection at hospitals. The NSWMA intervenes only in emergencies. Nevertheless, he could not confirm whether the authority had been contacted about the situation at St. Joseph’s Hospital.