For approximately two weeks, raw sewage has been spewing from a manhole on the compound of the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) leading on to Upper Rose Lane, which is also used as a back entrance to the institution.
This has been posing a health risk and inconveniencing the hundreds of patients and pedestrians who traverse the area daily. Earlier this week, Teresa, who operates a small shop along Upper Rose Lane, had to rush to a little girl's assistance after she lost her balance and fell in a pool of sewage while on her way home from school.
"I had to take her up and wash her off. All big people drop inna it because sometimes dem a step up and lose dem balance and lick up dem foot in addition to drop inna di dirty water. If yuh notice, a some people put some stone deh fi help the people dem," Teresa said.
When THE WEEKEND STAR visited the grounds of the health facility, brown coloured water spewed from the manhole. As a truck was unloaded mere footsteps away, the news team observed over a dozen pedestrians skilfully making their way across the flowing water.
Covering her nose with a mask, a woman who operates business outside the back gate of the hospital, said she often has to assist the elderly and visually impaired to cross over the filthy water.
"Blind people come through the hospital on a daily basis and a nuff time we have to be out here to guide them. The other day big accident almost happen out here with a bike man because of this. The place is literally a mess," she said. The woman stated that she has no other choice but to close her business as the stench was unbearable.
"Yuh have a time when the entire place stink and the water run harder. Like all midday when people a use pipes harder, it wicked round here. Mosquitoes round here hard a evening time. It stay real real bad. Mi have a little shop and mi have to lock it because mi can't open shop when the place look and smell suh. Is two days mi lock it," she said.
Colin Cooper, CEO of the KPH, said that the overflow was noticed on March 23.
"The National Water Commission (NWC) was contacted same day and they responded on Friday, March 25. We were informed that there was a disruption on the said lateral line that runs along North Street and in the adjoining community, also NWC would have dispatched team to clear same and have been monitoring same. We are expecting a resolution of the matter shortly," he said, while apologising for the insanitary conditions.
