Displaced residents at BWU facility must relocate as health officials look to house COVID-19 patients there

Thirty-six Barbadians who have called the Barbados Workers’ Union’s (BWU) Frank Walcott Labour College at Mangrove home since the July 3 passage of Hurricane Elsa, now have to move to new accommodation as health officials look to take over the St Philip facility as an isolation centre for COVID-19 patients.

Barbados TODAY understands that during an emergency meeting with Ministry of Health officials and management of the shelter around 6 p.m. on Thursday evening, the temporary residents were informed that they have to leave the premises by noon on Sunday. However, at a meeting on Friday morning, they were told they have to leave by 12 p.m. on Saturday, a source said.

When Barbados TODAY visited the location this morning, a few of the displaced residents were in tears, while others vented their concerns about the way “we are just being thrown out”, at such short notice.

A tearful 50-year-old Shawn Perry whose St Philip house was destroyed by Hurricane Elsa said she is distraught that she is being sent to a location in St James, a far distance from her elderly parents who depend on her assistance.

“I don’t like it. They told us that we got to move. Just like that they told us. I got my parents that elderly and I do all the medication runs and all of that for them. How I will get that done from St James. I do not work. We don’t like the way this is done,” Perry said as she wiped away tears.

Meanwhile, another one of the affected people, who asked that his name be withheld, said they were disgruntled that they were misled at Thursday night’s meeting.

“We can’t do nothing about it man. We got a system now that we got to learn to live with,” he said.

A source close to the developing situation told Barbados TODAY that there was an argument between residents and management of the shelter after breakfast on Friday, because the hurricane victims feel as though they are being hurried to unfamiliar locations and have been told that they have to find their own transportation to get there.

“There was this massive uproar when they were notified that they have to be out by 12 o’clock on Saturday. It was a big cuss out this morning right after breakfast because how are people supposed to be out at such a short notice and have to provide their own transportation.

“All of those people on that compound are unemployed. So where are they supposed to find money for transportation to take all of their clothes and all of the little things that they saved from their houses that are destroyed. And then they are sending these people all over the place.

“There is a family of six that is being placed in a one bedroom at Sterling children home and there is not even proper lighting up at Sterling, so why are you sending a family with little children there,” the source said.

Just before noon, head of isolation facilities and infectious disease expert Dr Corey Forde and a team from Harrison Point arrived to tour facilities at the Labour College.

Approached by members of the media before boarding the bus to leave, Dr Forde said he and his team were looking at the Labour College as a prospective isolation facility.

“You know from the start of certainly COVID in the country one of the things we have done as a national team as we prepare is to scout. Look for areas if you potentially got into trouble that you potentially can increase your resources and have them put into place.

“And we have been working across the country to find different areas outside of schools, because children need to get back to school, which we may use for isolation purposes. So basically, that’s what you are seeing today. There is really no big story about this to be honest. This is what we do on a daily basis,” Dr Forde said.

Management of the shelter opted not to comment on the matter. Efforts to contact Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George proved futile.
anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb