Health officials have ordered the Royal Barbados Police Force (RBPF) to clean up the Oistins Police Station as a matter of urgency.
In a letter dated October 4th 2017, signed by an environmental health officer from the Randall Phillips Polyclinic and addressed to Commissioner of Police Tyrone Griffith, lawmen were given 14 days to have the facility cleaned following the discovery of a mould species, which the authorities said could adversely affect persons’ health and general respiratory functions.
This follows an inspection that was carried out by officers from the Randall Phillips Polyclinic at the police station which falls within its target area on September 1.
“During this inspection sample swabs were obtained from the air conditioning units and submitted to the Public Health Laboratory for analysis.
“Results of these samples indicated the presence of Coliforms as well as Aspergillus Niger,” Environmental Health Officer Sean Brathwaite said in his correspondence to the Commissioner of Police.
While not saying what action would be taken if the instructions were not carried out, the letter outlined the “nuisances” associated with the facility that needed to be addressed.
“You are hereby instructed to clean and service [air condition] units, clean all offices and rooms at the Oistins Police Station, maintain AC units and empty, clean and sanitize water source tanks,” the letter instructed, adding that the conditions at the police station were found to contravene the Health Services Act and Health Services Regulations.
When contacted, Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police Erwin Boyce told Barbados TODAY the health and welfare of officers was paramount and the matter was being addressed as a matter of urgency.
“The situation has our attention and we have put measures in place to work out a solution at the earliest. We are pursuing it in accordance with what is to be maintained at the station level. We are working on the issue as quickly as possible and definitely within the 14 days given,” Boyce said.