The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

OPPOSITION Leader Dr Hubert Minnis said the fire at the city dump is not only a nuisance but a health hazard and cause for concern.

Dr Minnis said the smoke emanating from the fire, which has been burning since Friday, can trigger asthma

attacks and there is currently a shortage in asthma medication at the Princess Margaret Hospital.

“The smoke,” he said, “is bad for so many reasons. There are a lot of individuals with medical allergies and it can also cause bronchitis and other respiratory problems. At this time, there is a medical shortage of albuterol, which is used to treat asthma attacks. The smoke can lead to an increase of asthma attacks for the people in the immediate surrounding areas and the shortage of the medication can cause a serious problem. Something has to be done.”

Dr Minnis, who is also the Member of Parliament for Killarney, said he has received numerous complaints about the smoke from his constituents, especially in the Lake Cunningham area.

“People have been calling me saying they just cannot take the smoke anymore,” he said. “They have had to close their windows and use the air conditioning and that is only for those who have it. All that means is that the electricity bills will also be higher. But we have to monitor the situation and see what the impact from the fire will be moving forward in terms of its impact. The majority of the complaints are coming from people in the South West Ridge and Lake Cunningham area and they are basically just saying they cannot breathe properly.”

Environmental Health Director Melanie McKenzie said officials are conducting air tests to ensure that no harmful chemicals are being released into the air.

Early last year, fire officials were faced with the same challenge at the dump and urged residents to seek medical assistance as soon as possible if they experienced breathing problems, headaches, vomiting, nausea or unusual fatigue.