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The Ministry of Health and the Environment responds to the Contractor’s statement on the collapse of the CCEC fence wall

03rd November 2015

The Ministry of Health and the Environment wishes to respond to a Press Release by George and George Construction Company Limited issued in the Daily Observer Newspaper on October 20, 2015.

The Press Release gave possible reasons for the collapse of the wall fence on the northern perimeter of the Cancer Centre Eastern Caribbean (CCEC) on October 19, 2015

It further proceeded to state the following: “It should be noted that on completion of the Cancer Centre Building, it was inspected by the Representatives of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) where it was given stamp of approval.”

The Ministry of Health and the Environment would like to clearly establish that, at its request, representatives from PAHO conducted a site visit to inspect the interior walls of the building surrounding the radiation equipment.

The main objective of this visit was to assess the compliance of the CCEC with international requirements for radiation safety for patients, workers and the public.

These regulations are detailed in the International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources.

Additionally, radiation tests were conducted at the request of the IAEA prior to the opening of the Cancer Centre.

The Ministry would like to emphasize that at no point during its construction were either PAHO or the IAEA involved in assessing the soundness of the retaining wall fence surrounding the CCEC.

As a member of the IAEA, the Ministry of Health and the Environment will continue to collaborate with this Agency and PAHO to ensure the safety of patients and the general public.