Eon Jarrett

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the St Ann's Bay Hospital, Eon Jarrett, has reacted to several concerns being expressed by members of the public and some staffers over conditions at the institution.

Some visitors to the hospital have expressed disgust with the lack of proper lighting at the main entrance to the compound and the poor condition of the road leading to the facility. Motorists visiting the hospital have also expressed dismay at the approximately 50 per cent reduction in visitor-parking space at the regional hospital.

In an interview, Jarrett said he was aware of the concerns and was making effort to deal with them.

"We are aware of the lighting problem but we were having difficulty getting a private electrician with a bucket to fix the lights as the JPS (Jamaica Public Service) doesn't do private work," Jarrett explained.

electrician work due

He said an electrician was due to address the situation within days. Four lights at the main entrance of the compound have been out for several weeks, leaving the security post and persons waiting on public transportation in darkness at nights.

A section of the road leading to the hospital, between the entrance to Marcus Garvey Technical High School and the hospital's entrance, has been riddled with potholes for over a year. Temporary measures by hotel staffers to fill the holes only last for a short while but, according to Jarrett, repeated attempts to get authorities to fix the road have failed to get results. He said there was uncertainty as to who was responsible for fixing the roadway.

When The Gleaner contacted the Road and Works division of the St Ann Parish Council, a spokesperson said the road was the responsibility of the National Works Agency. Parish Manager Vincent Small was not in office when The Gleaner tried to reach him.

Regarding the car park, Jarrett said the reduction in visitor-parking space was as a result of the hospital reclaiming space that was built for staff but which over the years has been used by members of the public.

He acknowledged the inadequacy of the parking space and said the hospital was in the process of trying to secure the adjoining lands belonging to Marcus Garvey Technical, to use for parking.

Jarrett also said that he was thinking of having police presence on the hospital compound to deal with the unruly behaviour of some motorists, especially taxi operators, who continue to disregard proper road use, thus creating chaos on the compound.