Staff at the Glenhope Child Care Facility in collaboration with residents of the Maxfield Park community in Kingston conducted a clean-up exercise of the premises recently (March 17), in an effort to mitigate against the endemic zika virus and other outbreaks.
Giving details of the scope of work, Manager for the Facility, Miss. Janet Davidson said that the clean-up included chopping down and trimming of trees, weeding of the garden and recreational areas as well as removing debris from the property as precautions.
“Cleaning up of the facility is something that we normally, and so we saw the need to undertake such an initiative to destroy mosquito breathing sites, because our children are our main priority. We take health at this facility very seriously, because we are aware that we serve children who are more susceptible to viral and bacterial infections. With the many outbreaks affecting mostly children, we have to do everything in our power to keep them safe in keeping with the Child Development Agency’s mandate,” she said.
Participating in the day’s exercise, Caregiver at the Facility, Charmaine Williams said that she feels very compelled to give of her time and service to such a worthy cause, considering the fact that it is geared towards improving the health care of children at the facility.
“It is a good feeling because when you think of the benefit, it pushes you to want to do it. At Glenhope, we love and care for the children as our own, so we are committed to playing our part to protect them in every way and also ourselves,” Miss. Williams said.
Community Member, Alston Green, who also rendered assistance in the cleaning-up of the premises, said it was a joy for him knowing that his effort is for the benefit of the children.
“When I was approached to assist with the cleaning of the facility, without hesitation, I agreed, because I know there are a lot of flu outbreaks, and mosquito breeding sites, and so our effort is to destroy those sites to prevent the spread of Zika-Virus and others that poses a threat to the children and staff members at Glenhope Nursery,” Mr. Green said.
Cleaning of the facility will be ongoing as the management and staff seeks to ensure the safety of the wards and themselves.
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