St Helena : St Helena In Focus Part 2
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Juanita Brock) 16.08.2009 (Article Archived on 30.08.2009)
The first part of the IN FOCUS report for this week follows on from the report in the St Helen Herald on 31st July 2009 and the remainder of the business covered on the 21st July programme with answers to questions provided to Councillor Yon to that point:
The first part of the IN FOCUS report for this week follows on from the report in the St Helen Herald on 31st July 2009 and the remainder of the business covered on the 21st July programme with answers to questions provided to Councillor Yon to that point:
PUBLIC WORKS & SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Question: At the completion of the Welding Trainer's contract will PW&SD purchase his equipment, or will the Department purchase their own from off Shore?
Answer: A part of the trainer's terms of reference was to identify the appropriate equipment and consumables which the department will require for future use once the training has been completed. This equipment has already been identified, so in short, the department will purchase its own equipment.
Question: You did promise some weeks ago to have a printed version of a graph put into the two local papers showing 12 monthly intervals of a three to five year data on the amount of electricity generated by the existing turbines, and a repeat when all six turbines are up and running to compare the success of the project, to date nothing has happened. The caller who put forward the question has asked what has happened and how soon will it be before the promised information is available for the public.
Answer: We have completed the turbine data for you and this will be published, I will send you a copy for your information, I understand that the information from your programme is printed in the paper and maybe you would wish to include the graph.
Mr Derek Richards, Manager, Public Works & Services Department provided the answers.
The remainder of this report focuses on business covered on the 28th July 2009 programme:
PUBLIC WORKS & SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Question: Instead of using Land Rovers to convey labour why can't the old school buses be used instead?
Answer: I am assuming that the school busses you refer to are those which have just been replaced as they were more than 10 years old. As you are aware these busses were run by the private sector as a part of the school bus service, SHG does not carry any spares or any other equipment to service them, and as part of our replacement policy, have been determined to have reached the end of their useful and economic life. Hence they are being sold by tender.
Question: An excellent job has been carried out near Clay Gut with widening the road and having a crash barrier erected, were any incentives given to those workmen in the form of a bonus?
Answer: Thank you very much for the feedback on this job, as although the department often gets asked to do things, there is never any positive feedback, so this is welcome at this stage. Staff was not given a bonus for job, however, I am sure they do appreciate your recognition of a job well done
Question: How is good workmanship rewarded or recognised?
Answer: Maybe this is an overall issue for SHG, although I can confirm that in PW&SD, good work is recognised in a number of ways, this ranges from a personal letter from myself, to verbal acknowledgement or the line manager acknowledging the workmanship with the employee or employees.
Question: With regard to the signs that were erected in the vicinity of Plantation House would you be able to say (a) who erected those signs (b) was the work carried out by your department (c) what was the actual cost to procure and erect them?
Answer: The signs you refer to are those requested by the Highways Authority, they were erected by the private sector at the request of this department. The signs are a part of putting in place signage to alert motorists when use the road. The Highways Authority has deliberated these signs for several months. An information statement will be made shortly on their purpose.
Mr Derek Richards, Manager, Public Works & Services Department provided the answer.
LEGAL & LANDS DEPARTMENT
Question Why was the new Constitution process put out for public consultation when at the end of the day it seems that we the public were dictated to and the new constitution will go ahead anyway?
Answer Sorry Mervyn - this is a political issue, not a legal one. Not appropriate for me to comment.
Mr Ken Baddon, Attorney General provided the answer.
AGRICULTURE & NATURAL RESOURCES DEPARTMENT
Question: What is the possibility of having a Vet stationed on the Island permanently?
Answer: The recent veterinary development consultancy undertaken on Island in April/ May of this year on behalf of ANRD highlighted as one of its recommendations that "a full-time Vet should head the Veterinary and Livestock Section on St Helena". This recommendation will now be taken forward at the forthcoming SHG planning and budgeting process for approval.
Question: What has happened to the subsidy for the arable farmer for this year please?
Answer: There has not been an announcement or promise that there would be subsidy for the arable farmer for this year. The arable subsidy programme finished in 2006/7.
During that year ANRD and the Farmers Association looked at priority areas for subsidy support and as a result of this exercise an Agricultural Improvement Scheme was devised by ANRD with input from the Farmers Association and ANRC.
Since April 2007, grant support has been made available for bee-keeping enterprises, sheep enterprises, improvements to pig housing and pasture infrastructure improvements (through invasive clearance work and fencing repairs). Incentives for arable production in the near future will be determined under the revision of our agricultural policy during the year.
Mr Darren Duncan, Chief Agricultural and Natural Resources Officer provided the answers.
PUBLIC HEALTH & SOCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT
The questions below are supplementary to answers previously answered:
Question: Why do the public have to pay £5.50 for out of hours consultation when the doctor does not actually come out to see the patients but most times prescribes the treatment via the telephone?
Answer: A consultation does not necessarily have to be with a doctor, a nurse tending to a patient is also a consultation.
Question: We were told last week (07.07.09) that only 18 people can have appointments at the Sandy Bay clinic during clinic days. Do any of these 18 people attend solely to have their prescription cards signed, and if this so are these people depriving sick people or people with urgent needs from having an appointment?
Answer: It may be that some patients attend to have prescription cards signed but this has to be done by a medical officer, as sometimes there may be a need to change the treatment or cease it completely.
Question: In the past Sandy Bay Clinic operated from 10 am to 3 pm, why has the time changed to 10 am to 1 pm, surely this new system means that less people will have the chance to see the doctor even though they may be sick?
Answer: I am not sure of the history regarding the change in clinic times will check with the SMO.
Question: Is it true that animals such as dogs are x-rayed in the General Hospital, and how hygienic would this be?
Answer: I am not sure of this but will check this with the SMO.
Question: Is the x-ray machine used for animals the same machine that is used for the public?
Answer: Again, I will check with the SMO.
Mrs Carol George, Chief Administrative Health & Social Services provided the answers.
The IN FOCUS programme is grateful for the material supplied week by week and congratulates callers on their astuteness.
Likewise the workload in various departments is recognised when responding to questions, to which the answers and clarifications given are gratefully received.
Cyril Gunnell
Radio St Helena
7th August 2009
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