Power outages and water shortages that have plagued Eleuthera for weeks may pose more than an inconvenience, says the island’s leading medical provider. Lack of water compounded by inconsistent electricity can also lead to serious health risks.
So says Dr. Arlington Lightbourne, founder of Eleuthera Medical Center.
“As a physician, I have a grave concern that Eleuthera’s water crisis can also mean a health crisis,” said the doctor whose clinic provides comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services to thousands of the island’s residents and visitors. He has already seen an increase in a variety of cases.
“We may think of it as annoying – we turn on the tap to rinse lettuce as we are making dinner and there is no water, we get frustrated, but frustration is just a reaction to what is a more serious problem which is lack of water means people pay less attention to personal hygiene. Not washing your hands, for instance, leads to greater chance of getting or spreading infection,” said Dr. Lightbourne.
The spread of infection is particularly worrying for those who suffer from immunocompromised conditions – diabetics, the elderly, someone with HIV-AIDS or the individual undergoing chemotherapy for any form of cancer.
As infections spread and the ability to provide clean environments is reduced by lack of convenient water for rinsing, washing floors, scrubbing countertops, washing dishes after a meal, the island is likely to experience an increase in the population of rodents, he predicted.
“Any increase in rodents – rats, mice, roaches – can lead to vector-born illnesses and there is another side to that which is as dangerous as the potential for illness. And that is to control the crawling rats, roaches and other vermin, people are more likely to use a bug and rodent killer that is as dangerous as what it is intended to wipe out, especially if the person pushing the button is also breathing in the fumes.”
The wellness specialist also expressed concern about continuing power outages.
“Individuals do not know when the power is going to go out. They are moving from chilly airconditioned environments to sweltering heat and back again,” he said.
Dr. Lightbourne also fears that dried up sewage systems will lead to worsening air quality, foul odors and an increase in the number and severity of asthma attacks and other immune reactions.
This is not the first time that the certified wellness specialist has expressed concern about a public works issue impacting health.
In 2016, he was an outspoken critic of the ongoing fires at what was then the landfill and dump in New Providence where blazes raged for days on end, filling nearby communities with smoke, forcing schools to close and leading to occasional evacuations. He noted then that the average adult breathes 24,000 to 28,000 times a day and there was no way to measure the long-term effects of that smoke inhalation.
Dr. Lightbourne urges a simultaneous look at how Water & Sewerage Corp, deals with sewage disposal on the island.
It’s time to stop the band-aid approaches and find a long-term solution for Eleuthera’s utility woes.
Source: DPA & Associates
The post Bahamas Wellness urges long term solutions to frequent water issues on Eleuthera appeared first on ZNS BAHAMAS.
