Senior Investigative Reporter
shaliza.hassanali@guardian.co.tt
The Insect Vector Control Division (IVCD) which is responsible for protecting citizens from vector-borne diseases lacks equipment, manpower and vehicles to eradicate infestation of mosquitoes in areas spanning from Caroni to far-flung Cedros. That’s the claim made by the heads of four regional corporations who have been working and supplying equipment to the IVCD as dengue cases surge to alarming levels.
One of the IVCD’s functions is to monitor and control insects and organism vectors through detection and surveillance activities to prevent outbreaks of diseases. However, Chaguanas Borough Corporation Mayor Faaiq Mohammed, chairman of the Couva/Tabaquite/Talparo Regional Corporation, Siparia Mayor Doodnath Mayrhoo and Penal/Debe Regional Corporation chairman Gowtam Maharaj said the IVCD is unable to fulfil its responsibilities.
These corporations have been loaning the IVCD spraying machines and working with the unit to fight mosquito infestations.
Mayrhoo expressed concern that with several confirmed dengue cases in Siparia’s nine electoral districts, the IVCD in the region “is flat down because they have no transport. They have not embarked on any spraying up to yesterday ... that information came to us.”
Mayrhoo said the corporation offered to repair one of the IVCD’s vehicles to make it roadworthy.
“But they did not get back to us on that,” he said
Mayrhoo said for the past three weeks, requests for spraying had been coming from every electoral district. “As we speak now, every area is critical because there is a mosquito invasion throughout the region. Everybody is complaining,” he said.
The Siparia Borough Corporation has done insecticide spraying in San Francique, Advocat, La Brea, Rousillac, Otaheite and Cedros where the confirmed cases were reported.
“Fyzabad had to be done in its entirety because just three weeks ago a 16-year-old child from that district passed away with dengue,” Mayrhoo said
Three weeks ago, the corporation had “about 30-something reported cases and about eight confirmed cases,” he said but based on a recent count, confirmed cases have increased.
The corporation serves more than 80,000 people.
Mayrhoo said the Corporation’s public health department has been taking up the slack for the IVCD “which is not our responsibility. Spraying falls under the ambit of the IVCD, which is an arm of the Ministry of Health. The IVCD is the one with the responsibility for taking care of a mosquito invasion in the area. We are doing as much as we can. We are trying to assist where they are falling short. But they have actually fallen down on the job.”
The corporation has two ULV (ultra-low volume) machines and two foggers. The ULV can be mounted on vehicles for widespread spraying in communities and the Corporation has been spraying twice daily around homes.
“We have a perifocal team working on the ground,” Mayrhoo said.
The first shift starts at 5 am and ends at 9 am. Spraying continues from 5 pm to 10 pm.
He added, “And we intend to work over the next three weekends as well. This would incur overtime for the workers in the Corporation. It would run into thousands of dollars. We have two shifts working per day to fight this problem.”
At a council meeting this week, concerns were also raised about derelict and mangled vehicles parked at police stations for months which have become breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
“We asked our officers to go into stations in our area and check those vehicles,” Mayrhoo said.
On Tuesday, Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh warned that public health inspectors have been authorised to fine citizens $3,500 if they fail to clean their properties.
Cases on the rise
The Office of the County Medical Officer of Health sends public health inspectors to assist with the investigation of the dengue cases once IVCD completes spraying activities to kill adult mosquitoes. Deyalsingh said this recently when he commented on the escalating dengue crisis in the Caribbean and Latin America.
Three weeks ago, the number of confirmed laboratory cases in T&T was 123.
There has been a 300 per cent increase in dengue cases throughout the Caribbean.
Maharaj said only a few areas were sprayed by the IVCD “because they are stifled for manpower and equipment. They are trying.”
He said after someone tests positive for dengue “it takes a while” for the IVCD to visit their home to spray.
He said in New Grant, St Julien, Tableland, Williamsville, Hard Bargain, Princes Town and Barrackpore, at least ten people were hospitalised with dengue while some were treated by private doctors at home.
“These were tested cases... confirmed cases. I am sure that figure crossed about 50. What we are seeing now is very bad. People are panicking,” said Maharaj.
The corporation has a population of more than 150,000.
Maharaj said the Corporation used to purchase insecticides for two of its foggers while the IVCD provided its expertise for spraying to eradicate mosquitoes.
“We are no longer getting that funding. That programme stopped about five years ago,” he said, adding that the foggers are lying idle at the Corporation.
“If the ministry could see it fit to fund us even a small amount of money where we could deal with this for at least three months,” he said.
Maharaj said burgesses had been calling the Corporation daily asking for their communities to be sprayed.
“This morning I received about 20 calls on my cellphone from burgesses requesting spraying,” he said.
While Maharaj agreed with Deyalsingh that some people need to clean their premises, he said some people with tidy surroundings have tested positive for dengue, “so the minister is playing smart with foolishness.”
He said spraying and fogging by the IVCD had worked in the past and can work again but one of their limitations is “they have one ULV machine” for spraying in the region.
Caroni has the most complaints
County Caroni has received the most complaints about dengue cases with more than 300 calls for spraying in its 15 electoral districts over three weeks.
“Our councillors are swamped with calls every day. Before the end of this week, we are planning a joint effort to go out into the communities to inspect people’s properties for breeding sources,” said chairman Ryan Rampersad.
He said the two machines currently being used by the Corporation are not sufficient to service 178,000 burgesses.
Rampersad said the eradication of mosquitoes falls solely under the IVCD but his Corporation has been helping, given the gravity of the situation.
“We are in the process of purchasing six blowers that can do the thermal fogging,” he said.
The Corporation also wants to procure a ULV machine.
In Chaguanas, Mayor Mohammed said there were close to 50 confirmed dengue cases in Edinburgh, Longdenville, Montrose, Enterprise North and South and Charlieville, with the highest concentration of positive cases reported in the Felicity and Pierre Road areas.
“This is causing fear among the residents,” he said.
Approximately 120,000 people live in the borough.
“We are trying to work with the IVCD to eliminate the spread of the mosquitoes. We are probably second on the list with dengue cases in the country,” said Mohammed
The borough has been loaning its ULV machine to the IVCD to assist with spraying, which Mohammed said “would boost the services” there.
“We have no issues lending IVCD our equipment. This is not a Chaguanas problem but a nationwide health concern,” he said.
Chaguanas has been using two dyna fogging machines in areas considered to be mosquito breeding grounds with personnel from the borough’s health unit carrying out these exercises.
Mohammed said the corporation began a spraying exercise using its ULV machine two years ago but “OSHA came and shut it down” because they were not following certain guidelines. The area where insecticide was stored and the use of PPE were the main issues of contention.
“There has been a lot of red tape to get that done, so what we are doing to bypass that is to work with IVCD,” the mayor said.
Mohammed suggested that the Health Ministry think outside the box and use aerial spraying known as “crop dusting” to cover a larger land mass rather than spraying on the ground.
WhatsApp messages were sent to chairmen and mayors of other corporations asking if they had mosquito infestations in their areas but they failed to respond.
In addition, questions were sent to the ministry’s corporate communications manager Shemelle Paradice about the IVCD.
Deyalsingh responded by stating that “spraying is not the solution to dengue. Don’t fool the public into thinking that spraying is the be-all and end-all.”
He said people needed to clean their surroundings.