South Coast resident and businessman Ray George said yesterday the defective South Coast sewerage system was severely affecting his health.
He pointed out that he had spent thousands of dollars in medical bills because of the constant presence of sewage around his property.
George reported that the issue had seemingly become worse over the last two weeks, with the sewage appearing to flow nonstop.
He said the effluent had stopped him from easily accessing his home in Worthing.
“The last two weeks, we spent over $ 1 000 on blood tests and every kind of tests,” George added.
He was speaking outside the Worthing Post Office, where the Barbados Labour Party’s candidates for the five Christ Church constituencies held a Press conference related to the issue.
BLP candidate for Christ Church West, Dr Wlliam Duguid, said the sewage floating in the area could create a myriad of health issues.
“Exposure to sewage gives you a significant risk of gastroenteritis, Hepatitis A, significant enterovirus problems, significant retro-virus problems, Escherichia coli and a whole host of problems with diarrhoea and all sorts of issues that can be a major health issue,” he said.
“No wonder we’re having a major problem with gastroenteritis in Barbados,” said Duguid, who is a dentist by profession.
Duguid said he wanted Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and the Government to urgently address the sewage issues, as the people in Christ Church would no longer be treated like second and third-class citizens.
While Duguid described the situation as “disaster management”, another nearby residentemerged to vent her frustration.
The woman, who declined to give her name, said she had been sick for weeks and her medical bills were mounting. (AD)