By Kimone Witter
Regional Health Authorities have been instructed to carry out an audit of all public bathrooms at hospitals, clinics and health centres.
Health & Wellness Minister Dr. Christopher Tufton says he wrote to administrators on Monday in light of the exposé on the state of public bathrooms at some health facilities.
Dr. Tufton says he accepts that the management has a responsibility to ensure the upkeep of the sanitary conveniences and will "follow up" to correct whatever shortcomings there are.
But the health minister bemoaned the theft of bathroom fixtures and appealed for visitors to health facilities to desist from the practice.
"You can't put the toilet paper fast enough in the bathroom for someobody to put it in their bag and walk out with it or to literally tear the soap dispenser off the wall - not only just empty it [but] take off the full dispenser and go out with it. We have to understand that this partnership requires us to protect the assets that are there to care for us," he said.
He was speaking Tuesday at the official reopening of the Chapelton Community Hospital in Clarendon.
The hospital was upgraded and expanded through a public/private partnership.
