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Contact:
Claudia Monlouis
Thursday, May 27, 2004 - In an effort to build a healthy collaboration
with the communities that are likely to be affected by the construction of the
New Hospital Complex along the Millennium highway, a team of high level
government officials including engineers, architects and other resource persons,
on Tuesday May 27, 2004, begun the process of interfacing with residents of
Coubaril in order to provide sensitization on several key aspects of the
project; such as design, security, noise pollution and biomedical waste
disposal.
The officials included Parliamentary Representative for the area Honourable Jon
Odlum and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Stephen King, both officials of the Ministry
of Health, Human Services and Gender Relations. The two officials highlighted
the importance of conferring with community members as they are partners in the
new shift to holistic health delivery.
Honourable Jon Odlum declared the meeting as an extremely necessary exercise as
it created a distinct channel of communication between the people and state
officials who undertake and implement such projects.
Dr.Stephen encouraged residents to view the project as an attempt to safeguard
national wellness upon which rests issues of productivity and quality of life.
In responding to the main concern regarding the location of the mental hospital
and security in particular, Dr. King explained that mechanisms were in place to
deal with acute cases of mental illness where those persons actually pose a
threat to the community. However, the time has come for the approach to treating
mental illness to be redefined, he said
According to Dr. Stephen King, “the mental health services can no longer be
considered as taking people and locking them away in institutions. That is not a
mental health service. We’re talking about having community mental health care,
where people are looked after in their community. We actually would like that
there be very few people in the mental health facility in Coubaril.”
Residence were informed that although the decision had been made to place the
hospital complex at the specified location, their suggestions and concerns would
be considered in the Planning and Design stage of the project. Another
sensitization meeting has been scheduled for Friday, May 28, 2004, at the
Ciceron Community Centre commencing at 6:30 pm.
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