By John Myers Jr., Staff ReporterHUNDREDS OF test tubes containing blood samples that were supposed to have been destroyed, but left carelessly outside a section of the National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), Slipe Pen Road, Kingston, have been found by dogs which have broken the tubes, and scattered the specimens in their search for food.
Yesterday when The Gleaner visited the facility, the broken tubes containing blood samples brought in for testing for some of the most dangerous diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS were seen displaced from what appeared to be black plastic bags on the grounds near to the entrance of the facility's incinerator.
DEFECTIVE INCINERATOR
According to one worker, the bags had been stacked outside in the open, as the incinerator at the laboratory has been out of service for more than three months. The worker said the plastic bags were ravaged and the tubes broken by stray dogs which roam the compound.
While speaking with The Gleaner news team, several workers said that despite reporting the matter of the ill-fated incinerator to the management of the NPHL, nothing has been done to repair the machine. This, they contend, has led to a pile-up of blood specimens considered highly contagious, and other materials at the facility. They said the NHPL has been utilising an incinerator by the neighbouring Blood Bank, but the machine could not manage to incinerate all material from both facilities.
Grace Allen-Young, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, when contacted yesterday, said she had no know-ledge of the problem at the public health lab and that this should not have happened. "I have not been advised of this, nor have I seen any report on the matter so it's a bit of a concern that something of this nature was not brought to my attention," she said.
Mrs. Allen-Young pointed out that prior to now, the machine was broken and was repaired.
She said arrangements could have been made to properly dispose of the material if the situation was managed properly.
