Residents of the Marigot and neighbouring communities have raised a number of concerns at a ‘community action meeting’ as it relates to the temporary closure of the Marigot Hospital due to mold and fungus.
The meeting was held at the Marigot Credit Union Conference Hall and MP for the Constituency, Lennox Linton said it resolved to demand urgent government action on the matter in a number of areas.
“There has to be an immediate relocation of the medical services to a suitable building in the Marigot community, such as the old Foundation High School which is presently under the management of the Youth Development Division,” he explained during a live interview on Q95′ The Hot Seat, “Secondly there has to be the immediate commencement of preparatory work for the construction of a new state-of-the-art national healthcare facility at Marigot at the same location to be funded by revenues collected from the economic citizenship programme and completed within 18 months.”
He added, “Also the meeting resolved that there have to be effective arrangements to ensure that no less than 75 percent of the expenditure on labour for the temporary relocation of the hospital and the construction of the new facility goes to residents of the affected area in general and Marigot in particular.”
Linton indicated that the participants of the meeting have adopted the language of “now”.
“They want it to happen now, and this should not be difficult for the government to understand having regard to the years of neglect that has characterized the way government has chosen to deal with this facility at Marigot,” he argued. “And so what the people are asking for is not rocket science, it’s not complicated, it is very simple. The people believe that they are entitled to a proper healthcare facility…”
Linton stressed is that the people are of the view that it is time for action and want to be clear that the government understands exactly what they want to be done.
He said residents lamented the quality of health care in the area.
“The meeting lamented the decline in the quality of healthcare at the hospital and the recent closure of the hospital, because of the very dangerous health and safety threats, the condition of the hospital are posing to patients and healthcare professionals alike,” he noted.
According to him, participants of the meeting were concerned about the severe economic consequences of operating a national airport with a proper medical facility in close proximity contrary to international aviation standards.
“The meeting thought there was a major risk there that the country wants to avoid,” he stated. “Residents in the affected communities, more particular in Marigot are significant contributors to the state and they are therefore entitled to the provision of vital services funded from the public purse and in that regard they must not be discriminated against.”
He also stressed that the meeting agreed that the rehabilitation of the Marigot Hospital is, “ a far greater national emergency than the $18.2 million destruction and reconstruction of a bridge in Roseau where there are four other functioning bridges facilitating access in and out of the capital city.”
He stated further that a pattern of empty promises, dishonesty, and blatant disrespect has characterized government’s response to the call of people from Marigot in particular for remedial action to correct the increasing failures in the delivery of proper healthcare at that facility over the past decades and this can no longer be tolerated.
Linton said a letter will be sent to Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit on Friday morning to address the matters raised at the meeting.
A press conference is being held on the matter on Friday morning by the government to bring the public up to date.
The Marigot Hospital was first shut down in 2014 because of a severe termite infestation.
The molding, fungus and termites are not the fault of the hospital authorities. It is not a political issue.
All the rain which fell in Dominica during TS Erika made the situation worst. Was there proper drainage near the hospital?
This situation occurred and since it is an emergency the patients would have to be moved prior to repairing the hospital. It got worst and so they are moving.
I do not see the necessity for Linton’s long charade of mapwee about constructing the bridge. Where will that get you? Those who continue to throw mapwee will not be taken seriously. It will not be through their effort and meetings that this Hospital will be repaired. It was already decided.
Living well healthily. Let this be a lesson on health matters and taking care of oneself healthily, eating and drinking nutritiously and living to a ripe old age healthily and with strength in order to enjoy life to the fullest. Some are doing this very well.
Mr Controller
One day the Creator will intervene and take all the power from you. Think of it, you beg the people to vote for you, they gave you a chance and now you are so ungrateful to them. You are lying to them and making them poorer, that is the best you can do? I say shame on you where is your conscience? Is it frozen? Dominicans cannot think anymore it is very sad. They love to be taken for a ride. They forget very fast and they cannot think logically. Papa I am wondering what legacy we are leaving for the next generation.
Everybody asking for the Minister of Health remember he once was the minister for Bitcioins so he maybe busy counting coins. But I listened to the press conference and the only person who made any bit of sense was the Director of Primary Health Care Dr. Espirit. She was coherent, very clear and very articulate. The P.S. and CMO sounded unsure of themselves, they searching and playing for words they were just out of touch and totally confused not knowing what to answer. At one time the CMO even admitted to Curtis that he was tardy and incompetent. He should be demoted immediately to another position t h e guy aS terrible in answering the questions and the woman P.S. was equally embarrassing. The bitcoin minister now health minister needs to come now to do damage control.I urge the people to stand firm.
The Parliament Representative for Marigot who is opposition leader,and his crew are afraid to get arrested that is the
Reason all this crap is going on, politicians should never be afraid to organize the people for cause and here in Dominica
This is what is going on, plan and organize if you go with 10 you may get a thousand , but demonstrate you get arrested you will be released you go again that is what you want to be in; politics it is a life of sacrifice you may have to die for a cause so if the OPPOSITION LEADER CANNOT LEAD STEP ASIDE LET A PERSON IN THE PARTY WILLING TO ORGANIZE AND LEAD TAKE HIS PLACE.
THE TIME FOR ACTION IS NOW.
HEALTH CARE IS A MUST…… WAKE UP DOMINICANS TO DAY IS MARIGOT TOMORROW MAYBE GRANDBAY OR ROSEAU YOU NEVER KNOW, YOU CANNOT WAIT FOR AN EPIDEMIC TO FIND THAT OUT OR A DISASTER AT YOUR AIR PORT TO FIND THAT OUT.WAKE UP DOMINICANS WAKE UP,STAND WITH THE OPPOSITION.
To you Good Times.How old are you? I am past 60 years and I have always known that building to be the Marigot Hospital. I worked at the Public Works Department back in the days and have known Mechanics who were dispatched to The Marigot Hospital to do maintenance work and this is the same place we were dispatched too. So Good Times, to say that The United Workers Party are the Ones calling this a Hospital for Political purposes, you are so wrong. I GUESS YOU ARE A CHILD OF THE 80’s,so ask your Elders they will tell you.
Here are the Hospitals back in the days which serviced Dominica.
The Roseau Hospital (before it was moved to Goodwill and named The PMH)
The Portsmouth Hospital, The Grandbay Hospital and The Marigot Hospital which covered the North East, and the Eastern districts of the island. So get your facts correct my friend, UWP was not yet POLITICAL PARTY, when the MARIGOT HOSPITAL WAS IN FULL SERVICE. Go look up your history. By the way are you Dominican? You don’t…
This is what Dominica has become,yet the gov’t is asking for investors to invest in such a let down country…
what a shame .what is hospital toilet doing outdoors? Weed is left to dry in a hospital yard ,when i am sure there were employees and yet still people are looking for jobs. mon honte meme gader domnique.
https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/economy-development/marigot-hospital-to-become-trauma-centre/
Those labour diasporas just coming here and giving thumbs down. Allu will start buying allu own ticket to come Dominica tho. The good time finish. last time was the last time. Stay tuned.
I am running out of patience with all this promise health is worth more that money if you have not health what is worth anything? GET UP STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHT you are playing the game with skerritt he will win don’t you know him by now?
Two years ago when mr darroux came to marigot he promised a new facility. Imagine every single time officials came to visit they refused to even conduct meetings downstairs because of the stench n lack of ventilation..wicked souls.
What has Lennox done?
They voted him as their Parlrep… he busy trying to raise money for himself to pay people for all the marlparlay he marlparlay them!
All that money he raised should have been for the Hospital in his constituency not for his personal use!
All the time he talking about the resorts by the river etc and Skeritt not consultating with him on this and that matter.
Yet his constituency is falling apart! Lennox thinks he is vice prime minister not the Marigot Parl rep.
allu need to tell him there is no such post as vice prime minister! He (Lennox) should have been raising money for hospital and bringing the community together to address local issues.
Well done Marigot. ..you see how fast they put a bogus press conference…pressure…action. .keep it up
Higher back th former p.s of health.. This nonsense never would happen under her watch
next level
Mr. Linton Sir, you have done your best so let the people loose. Time for action sir. Give Skerro a deadline to start implimenting the people’ recommendations or head fro the airport with the populace. Charlo shut down the country from Roseau for 47 days until PJ left unceremoniously so it should be very very very easy for the good folks of Marigot to take a cue ;-)
Marigot is very well placed and the smart people of this village assisted by their neighbor Wesley have the strategic capabilities to make the “boy with a toy” listen once and for all.
Always Assertive!
Meantime he escape overseas while you all were suppose to block the roads with your bodies? Do you see Lennox as a freedom fighter who would ride besides you all in battle? think again
is it the first time he is doing that? he said the president wont get into office we. lol
linton will not dictate to the government wat is best for THE PEOPLE OF DOMINICA, OK.
THE GOVERNMENT KNOWS WAT IS BEST.
IF HE MAKE ISSUE JUST MOVE THE DAM HOSPITAL TO WESLEY. SIMPLE AS DAT.
ALL HE WILL DO IS CALL FOR BLOCKAGE AND WE WILL GIVE THEM A SECOND DOES OF BAWI.
YOU SEE HOW MANY OF THEM THAT GOING TO JAIL SOON?
BUT THIS TIME WE WONT MAKE THE STONE THE LAW NAH. IS B****T IN ALL YOU *SS.
THE GOVERNMENT IS THE ONE THE PEOPLE PUT THE GOVERN NOT REPERSENT.
AND HE DAM RUDE TO TELL THE GOVERNMENT WHERE TO TAKE MONEY TO BUILD HOSPITAL.
You are just talking utter rubbish. Your judgement is totally bias thanks to Skerrits free sevo! Sober down and post again!
that building was never a hospital. it was use to house elderly persons.all of a sudden it is called a hospital under UWP just to create political mileage
Good Times you are the one trying to be political here.
You sound so foolish and ignorant.What was it?
LOL…these so-called UWP Politicians and supporters are truly lame ducks. They have no voice in Parliament, always being effectively blocked from raising pertinent issues by the one-sided speaker of the house. Issue after issue they go on a campaign of “education” and “information” which clearly is not resonating with a tired and fed up support base. They have one media outlet to publicize their views and positions during the day, hosted by a radio personality whose main interest is selling advertisements and making commercial stops. As their supporters become fired up about an issue the politicians come in and seize the day with meetings and talk, talk and more talk effectively KILLING the momentum. They make demands after demands that are laughed at and ignored by this (one man) Government and they still insist on making demands. They fail to realize that this Government will begin to respect them and the power they possess only AFTER action is taken!!!
Well what does that have to do with the decapitation of the hospital? My dear u need to repent. Workers have no voice true but those who have voice were still very silent for the past 2 years on this matter. Pray youvor your family never see illness on the north east.
I am calling on the Government please do something for the people of Marigot. They are really inneed of a Health Care Facility. Where has Primary Care went to. I am saddened about the situation. Mr. Mc. Intyre must be crying , he did a lot for the Health System for our country Marigot is one of the largest villages in the country to be without health care clinic? Its a shame. Leave the politic out and think of humanity, where is our conscience. This year is International year of Mercy. I am sure an appropriate house could be rented to aleviate the people plight especially the elderly with hypertention , diabetes, ect.. Wesley is too far for them. What of emergencies ? oh no. Love one another.
Unless you all stop the talking and do something different, you all will always be ignored.
This is not all about Marigot, the hospital at Marigot was not built only for Marigot people. The hospital was built to serve the area which includes Marigot, Wesley, Calibishie, Woodfordhill, Atkinson. I guess people with hypertension and diabetes from Calibishie and Wesley are not important and that the distance from the hospital should only be considered when it comes to Marigot people…how selfish!!!!!!! Sadly, listening to the leader of the oppossition it’s all true as far as he is concerned it’s all about Marigot, the rest can suck salt. Making demands and saying what should be done immediately is not a proper approach if you genuinely want a resolution, all you will get is a stop gap measure and perhaps a relocation of the hospital to a neighboring village.
Good for the people of Calibishie, 80% of them voted for Skerrit. Now he is saying thank you in his own way. None of you has realised yet that Skerrit does not think of anybody but himself. Keep on sucking salt and enjoy the plywood and galvanise.
Dominican have given mr skerrit too much advantage after all, a government should be there to advance the wellbeaing of the nation. the people must if the hospital is not reopen form a human chain and camp day and night on the main road IN A PEACEFULL WAY not just one day but weeks eat there sleep there like is is done in all other places.
let me see if marigot people going to settle with skeritt promises in order to prolong the talk and no action as usual.That is the psychology skeritt being using on Dominicans for over 15 years and more.good luck.I will say again if the people of marigot do not come together again as a community and build another hospital they will not get one under skeritt
labor party. one love.
This neglect of the Marigot hospital and health facility which is ordered by one man and one man only The dictator Roosevelt Skerrit who feels because he lost election in every ballot box in Marigot he must punish the people of Marigot to where he is willing to put the lives at risk in order to satisfy his political ego. A leader of a country cannot be so myopic, low minded narrow minded and malicious and shortsighted that he cannot see the extent to which he is endangering the lives of his own supporters.
On Sunday June 5th 2016 a lady from Atkinson a labour held constituency suffered a heart attack. There was no hospital in Marigot so they had to drive her to Wesley. When she got there she was dead. A functioning hospital in Marigot could have saved her life. Something must be done to stop this despot and political maniac called Roosevelt Skerrit before it is too late. Enough is enough. This nonsense must stop.
Magwasa!!!
I HAVE QUESTIONS:
Where is the health minister for Dominica in all of this?
Why did PM Skerrit let this happen on his watch, is there indifference to the plight of the people of Marigot? Where is the government compassion for the sick people? This is an inherent inefficiency on the part of the government.
Where and Who is the Parl Rep for Marigot?
Did politics play a part in the blatant disregard for the people by the government? Have the people of Marigot and surrounding villages been abandoned by the government?
What responsibility does the government have to provide the people of Dominica with clean functioning hospitals in Marigot and Roseau and on island?
It is time to bring in a government who can meet the people’s needs……. a government by the people… for the people……. red, blue, green ……….. and so I say:
FIRE THE PARL REP FOR MARIGOT, FIRE PM SKERRIT AND FIRE THE HEALTH MINISTER!!! NOW!!
Oh Mr Linton, you the Parl Rep? Why was that not priority number 1 for you?
Why did the place have to be condemned before you took action?
Alas the people’s health was at stake.
Sir you and PM Skerrit both failed the people of Marigot and the village that the hospital served!!!!!
Good question where is the Health Minister and the promise he made to build a new hospital in Marigot for so long, And why all the complains put before the Government they keep ignoring them . Marigot Hospital just as the road issues are not new it’s been a battle for years, So stop your nonsense because your rambling does not support the facts. Marigot is not asking for anything that is far fetch either.
Just in case you don’t know the Hospital serves Sineku, Salibia , Atkinson, Marigot , Wesley, Woodford-Hill, Calibishie .
Dr. Christmas was the doctor on call in Marigot when all of this was going on Dr. Johnson who I believe is chief medical officer new about it, then you have Anntilia Pascal I think they are all from Marigot, and what are they doing they are helping the Government to victimize the people of Marigot and surrounding villages now they come talking crap . Now you a lacking basic education because hospital come’s under the GOVT it seems that is news to you so…
1 800 Concerned, you need 1 800 memory. Do you know the amount of times Hon Lennox Linton has pleaded to the government about the health facilities in Marigot in Parliament. in writing, in the media and etc over the past 2 years or more? What else you wanted him to do? Take out his belt and beat skerrit for him to make the funds available to take care of the situation? Sometimes I really wonder how some of allu Dominicans brain set up.
If it takes taking out his belt and beat Skerrit, then do it!!! By any means necessary!! It is for the health of the people and saving lives.
I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical. Thomas Jefferson
Skeritt and the cabal is going to use the psychological on them at 11oclock to prolong the talk and no action as usual. Mark my words.
I heard of tme massive turn out.Now stop the talking..GO TO THE NEXT STEP!!!!
Don’t stand on the side looking in the people have the power to start moving forward, the top of the Savenday Adventic Church building is not appropriate for the services, and are they going to close the Healthcare services on Saturdays while the church is having their services, come on people stop them from moving in there . Does Marigot people know that Dr, Johnson Chief Medical Office is a member of that church have he sold his soul to Skerrit , also if Stewart is part of that church and he didn’t even get a chance to bid on the bridge that is now broken down in Roseau how could he be part of that arrangement. We all know that Skerrit will not take any advise from Linton but Foundation School is the perfect place for all the Villages not just Marigot to put the Center. I hope Marigot people do not back down keep on fighting get the Police on there side and stop talking We know Mr. Linton and all the people have to respect the laws but demonstrating without weapon is also good.
dont worry……