Prime Minister Bruce Golding speaks to an audience at the May Pen Hospital in Clarendon during the launch of the Government's Emergency Recovery Project. - Photo by Dwight Nelson

Bruce Golding, Prime Minister of Jamaica, last Friday launched the Govern-ment's Emergency Recovery Project (ERP) for the rehabilitation of 72 schools, 22 health clinics and 16 roads damaged by Hurricane Dean.

The launch took place at the May Pen Hospital, where it was announced that the project would be funded through a loan from the International Bank for Recon-struction and Development (World Bank) in the amount of US$10 million (J$712.5 million).

The ERP aims not only to rehabilitate the infrastructure of key institutions damaged by hurricanes, but, more important, to ensure that these facilities will be disaster resistant.

Upgrading

The schools to be rehabilitated and are designated shelters will be upgraded to meet the standards of emergency facilities.

A critical component of the project will be the development of community-based organisations to act as first-respondents during and after disasters.

As part of this initiative, a massive training programme will be launched in the project communities, targeting over 2,500 persons from parent-teacher associations, citizens' associations and community disaster response teams.

In addition, maintenance of critical community infrastructure, such as schools, clinics and roads, will be addressed.

The ERP will be managed and implemented by the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) in two phases over a three-year period.

Phase one will see the rehabilitation of the infrastructure, while phase two will involve mobilisation, training the residents of communities and increasing the capacity of Government by conducting key studies in areas like coastal management and disaster planning.

Emergency training

According to Golding, community emergency core-training would begin in September and be developed through the JSIF, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management and the Ministry of Education.

Five contracts were signed which will involve rehabilitation work on health centres and roads in Clarendon, Manchester and St Thomas.

In Clarendon, the May Pen Health Centre will be refurbished at a cost of just over $5.6 million, while the Cottage Pen and Clarks Town roads in Manchester will be rehabilitated at a cost of $5.9 million and $4.5 million, respectively.

Two contracts were also signed for work on roads in Logwood and Botany in St Thomas.

Rehabilitation will cost $10.5 million and $10.3 million, respectively.