By Richardson Dhalai Thursday, March 27 2008

San Fernando City Corporation (SFCC) public health inspectors have been inspecting the work site of the San Fernando Academy of Performing Arts to make sure there is no outbreak of dengue among Chinese workers on the project.

The inspectors have been making weekly visits to the site as precaution in light of an outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease among 12 Chinese workers employed at the Port- of-Spain Academy of Performing Arts site in January.

So far, the San Fernando site has been given a passing grade, according to SFCC public health inspector John Ramkhelawan.

“Everything is being monitored on a regular basis with on-site visits at least once per week,” Ramkhelawan said yesterday. The San Fernando academy is being built on the corner of Todd Street and the Rienzi Kirton Highway.

“So far, there have not been any problems,” Ramkhelawan said.

The quarters where the workers live, which is near the construction site, are also inspected regularly, he added.

The 12 Chinese workers who fell ill in Port-of-Spain had to be hospitalised and they had reportedly contracted the disease at their live-in quarters on Keate Street.

There has been a rise in the number of dengue cases in San Fernando, Chaguanas, Port- of-Spain and St Augustine in the last year. Earlier this month, Freeport police officers contracted the diseases. In light of these developments, the Insect Vector Control Division of the Ministry of Health held meetings with public health inspectors about the conduct of regular inspections and how to treat the spread of mosquitoes around the country.

An English-speaking Chinese worker at the San Fernando academy site said all interview requests had to be approved by the Urban Development Corporation (Udecott).

An e-mail sent to Udecott requesting an update on the status of the project, including whether it is on schedule and how many Chinese have been employed and what are their living conditions, was acknowledged but not answered. When completed, the 110,093.3 square foot facility will feature an acoustically designed performance theatre, two practice halls, performing arts teaching facilities, high-tech audio visual equipment and parking facilities and is being financed through a government-to-government two percent concessional loan from China to the TT Government.